Ananya Prassanna, the Indian-American seventh-grader who ranked third in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, says she is determined to return next year for the prestigious annual competition and lift the championship trophy.
“Giving up doesn’t really make sense to me because why give up when you always have another chance? So I’m definitely probably going to come back next year,” the 13-year-old from Apex, North Carolina, told PTI in an interview.
Representing the Carolina Panthers at the Scripps National Spelling Bee held here on Thursday, Ananya made it to the finals of the prestigious competition and eventually ranked third in her third attempt. She previously competed in 2022, when she tied for 49th place and in 2023 when she tied for 74th place. A seventh grader, Ananya views this with pride and a determination to climb even higher in the future.
Ananya said her spelling bee journey began in second grade when she participated in a spelling bee organised by the North South Foundation — a non-profit organisation. Encouraged by this early success, her parents supported her continued participation in spelling bees.
By third grade, Ananya’s talents were evident as she won her classroom and school bees. However, her journey was briefly interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing further participation. Undeterred, she returned in fifth grade to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the first time, where she thrived on camaraderie and connection with fellow spellers. She also recommended finding a coach for serious contenders, as her coach provided crucial support and confidence during challenging times.
She engages in “dictionary diving,” exploring hard words and studying their roots and rules rather than relying solely on memorisation. Reflecting on her toughest moment in the competition, Ananya recalled spelling “tennesi,” a word even the champion admitted he did not know.
Despite the pressure and a ticking clock, she trusted her subconscious memory and spelt the word correctly, earning significant respect from her peers and the judges, Ananya said. Bruhat Soma, a 12-year-old Indian-American seventh-grade student from Florida, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, earning more than USD 50,000 in cash and other prizes.