Every minute of the spelling bee taught me something new: how to stay calm under pressure, how to make friends instead of rivals, how to accept success and defeat, how much the support of my friends and family means, how people can be talented and gracious and dedicated all at once. It left me with one question, though - how do I deal with the loss of my spelling bee world?

I keep asking myself what it is about this competition that gives us this phenomenal synergy.  In part, it's automatic respect; we know exactly how hard we've all worked to get here. Yet it's so much more than this. The Bee Week Staff convinces us that we are *all* champions. The Bee teaches us to bee-lieve in ourselves, and also in each other. I will carry it with me always.

On this the 90th year of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, I celebrate involvement in over half of these years (46, to be exact)! In a word, MIND-BOGGLING! My memories are measureless but, suffice it to say, it's been quite a SPELL!

My time competing in the Scripps Bee program gave me a challenging (but fun!) goal toward which to work during my middle school years. The dedication and study methods that I developed for the Bee proved essential for later endeavors in high school, and even now, in college. My encounter with the study of etymologies also sparked my lasting interest in language, and ultimately led to my majoring in Linguistics. So the Bee truly can "bee" a life-changing experience!

I competed three years in the National Spelling Bee and was a finalist in 2012. I just completed my first year at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The bee has enriched my life so greatly, through study skills, a love of language, and lifelong friendships. Recently, I was reminded of the legacy of the Bee and my responsibility to pass on the love of language to others. I began tutoring in an elementary literacy program through a Nashville YMCA. On my first day, I asked my student his biggest goal for our time reading together.