Nitya Kathiravan, speller 197 and a New Jersey eighth grader, said she feels like her hard work has paid off.
“To have made it this far is a huge achievement for me,” she said.
Nitya’s favorite words have German roots and she said she loves to learn about how words are formed. She said she’s loved meeting people in her second Bee, which she said was “really different” than the first time.
Aside from spelling, Nitya likes playing with her dog Chloe, playing volleyball, reading books like the Harry Potter series and watching shows like Grey’s Anatomy. She dabbles in ceramics, as well.
She’s wearing black this evening because she tends to do well when she does. Regardless of what happens tonight, she has a plan for after the competition is through:
“I’m going to take some time off and just be happy,” she said.