Mera Moucharrafie, a seventh-grader at Belvidere Central Middle School in Illinois, overcame her nerves to win the 35th annual Boone Winnebago Regional Spelling Bee. She bested 30 other spellers and won with the final two words: "apartheid" and "peccadillo." In addition to her spelling talents, she loves to run with the school's cross country and track teams.  

Photo credit: Scott P. Yates, RRStar.com