Speller looks to future bees
An 11-year-old Overland Park girl is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Johnson County’s two national spelling bee champs.
Kushala Madduru also put her mark on the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., last week.
She tied for 50th place in the competition, nearly making the semi-final rounds.
“My family and I watch the Scripps spelling bee every year and I had always dreamed of being on that stage,” Kushala said. “The entire experience was awesome. I had so much fun.”
Preparing for the big day was no small feat.
Kushala spent a couple hours every school day studying on her own and with her mom, who is her biggest supporter. On weekends, she devoted a few more hours.
While she spent a lot of time studying the dictionary, Kushala admits that spelling isn’t really just about spelling.
“Once you understand the root words, it makes it easier to guess how to spell the words you don’t know,” she said. “Knowing the language of origin also helps.”
The past couple months were a little hectic for Kushala, who just finished up fifth grade at Cedar Hills Elementary School.
She takes lessons in Indian classical dance and music. She’s active in basketball and taekwondo. She’s a Girl Scout and she plays the violin.
To make it to the national competition on such a full schedule is an accomplishment itself, her parents agree.
“It is a great achievement,” said her mother, Saritha Madduru. “Kushi is passionate, focused and talented. We’re very proud.”
The Scripps spelling bee has a special place in their family’s hearts, she added.
Kushala’s younger sister was born during the championships last year. The family watched the spelling bee, which airs on ESPN, from the hospital room.
And Kushala’s younger brother, who is in second grade, hopes to soon follow in his sister’s spelling bee footsteps.
While they were in Washington last week, the family made it a special vacation. They visited relatives who live nearby and they took a tour of the city. Kushala and her dad visited Smithsonian museums.
Now that the national competition is over, Kushala is already anticipating the next bee season.
She definitely wants to brush up on vocabulary, which is the category she believes sent her home.
Two years ago, vocabulary evaluation was incorporated into the Scripps spelling bee. It counts for 50 percent of a speller’s overall score. For many spellers, it makes or breaks their chance to advance into semifinals.
Kushala also hopes to just continue loving to spell. Because that, she said, is the most important thing of all.
“I’ve always liked learning new words, especially the hard ones,” she said. “Being in spelling bees is fun. I just want to do the best I can and hopefully, if I make it to nationals again next year, I’ll be less nervous.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Speller looks to future bees."