Washington eighth grader Saharsh Vuppala, speller 206, was in an unusual position. His twin sister, Deetya Vuppala, was speller 221 – and on stage with him in the Semifinals.
“I’m nervous for me, but I’m also nervous for my sister,” he said, recounting what it was like to compete. “Obviously we’re both nervous, but it feels nice because we’re both going through it together.”
Saharsh is moving on alone, though. He said he and his sister studied independently, but shared words that they thought the other might benefit from knowing. He said he likes piecing words together and sees them as puzzles that have to be solved.
The family is taking a trip to Europe this summer, and Saharsh, who likes Greek mythology, said he’s looking forward to seeing the temples of the gods. He also likes playing badminton and biking.
“It feels great,” he said of his finals berth. “I’ve been working towards it for a long time.”