Snigdha Nandipati Wins Scripps National Spelling Bee

Posted on June 1, 2012

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Francis Parker School 8th-grader and Rancho Penasquitos resident Snigdha Nandipati spelled claimed the 85th-annual Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling guetapens in the 13th-round, beating out the other nine finalists on Thursday evening in front of a live television audience on ESPN.

With the victory, Nandipati win $30,000 from the Scripps Foundation, a $5,000 scholarship from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, and several other prizes.

Nandipati advanced on to the finals by spelling stochastically in round four to become the last student from California in the competition before spelling compas in round five. Nandipati would then calmly spell rhonchus in the sixth round to advance on to the finals.

In the finals, she began round seven by spelling psammon and ajimez in the eighth round. Nandipati would then correctly spell luteovirescent, saccharolytic and admitattur in rounds 8-11. She spelled arrondissement correctly in round 12 before the only other competitor missed her word in the same round. Due to Spelling Bee rules, Nandipati was then required to spell one more word to become champion, which she did and later called a “miracle” in her live ESPN interview following the win.

Out of the millions across the country that participated in local competitions, the Scripps National Spelling Bee consisted of 278 contestants from across the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe; also, the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Founded in 1912 and serving 1,230 students in grades JK – 12, Francis Parker School is committed to graduating students who embody those qualities essential for academic success and personal fulfillment.