Sahasrad Sathish is in an unusual place – he’s speller 1, the first person to the microphone in every round. The Illinois eighth grader said it’s a privilege to do so.
“It’s an honor to kick off the round,” he said. “It’s a good way to get it over with.”
Sahasrad said the competition is nerve-wracking, and he’s been preparing for this moment since the third grade. He qualified in 2020, but was disappointed when the Bee was canceled because of the pandemic. He thought then that his dreams had been crushed, he said. But now, he sees it was a blessing in disguise.
He likes spelling, he said, because he likes to decode words. Outside of spelling, he practices math and karate and plays flute and mridangam, an Indian drum.
He said since it’s his last year to compete, he’s just trying to do his best.
“Never stop believing in yourself,” he said. “If you keep believing, you can do anything. Anything is possible.”