Since its inception in 1925 with just nine participants, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has grown to attract millions of spellers across generations. This annual competition tests not only spelling skills but also shapes the lives and careers of its champions.
Karthik Nemmani, who seized the trophy in 2018 at the age of 14 with the word “koinonia,” a term that signifies fellowship, reflects on the unique challenges of the competition. He admits it’s not a word he frequently uses, remarking, “The only time I’ve ever used it is when someone asked me, ‘Oh, what was your winning word?”
Now at 21 and pursuing a double major in computer science and linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin, Nemmani credits his spelling bee journey with sharpening his academic discipline. “I think I’ve always been more of a problem solver type of person,” he shares, emphasizing the skills he has honed through this competition.
The criteria for competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee are strict; participants must not have progressed beyond eighth grade or reached their 15th birthday. This aspect ensures that young spellers like Nemmani can compete at a formative stage in their lives.
Nupur Lala, who triumphed in the 1999 competition with the challenging word “logorrhea,” meaning excessive talkativeness, finds that her experience has vastly benefited her career as a neuro-oncologist. In her specialized field focusing on brain and spine tumors, Lala has learned to absorb complex information quickly. “In this field, there seem to be multiple conditions with polysyllabic names. So I say that I got a head start,” she explains.
As she prepares to marry next month, Lala embraces the friendships fostered through competing. “We’re going to have spelling bee friends at the wedding,” she says, revealing her strong connections with fellow competitors. Furthermore, her fiancé, an excellent speller himself, will incorporate spelling into his vows, highlighting the shared passion that brought them together.
John Paola, the winner of the 50th National Spelling Bee in 1977, recalls his memorable victory with the word “cambist,” defined as a dealer in bills of exchange, and humorously notes that it was a phonetic spelling. Now at 62 and a veterinarian in Annapolis, Maryland, Paola reminisces about his veterinary school interviews. “My two interviewers only wanted to talk about the National Spelling Bee. There were no questions about what drove me to be a veterinarian or what my goals were in my professional career,” he says. This fondness for the bee has kept the conversation alive for decades.
Paola’s proudest achievement remains his spelling bee win, a milestone that he cherishes more than his successful veterinary career. “I mean, I went to vet school and I became a veterinarian and that’s super awesome. Still, I feel like the spelling bee was so unique that it’ll always be the most special thing to me,” he states.
As the excitement builds for this year’s competition, which kicks off preliminaries on Tuesday, fans can catch the semifinals and finals on ION, a Scripps TV network. The stories of champions like Karthik Nemmani, Nupur Lala, and John Paola remind us of the lasting impacts such competitions can have, both personally and professionally.
image source from：https://www.npr.org/2025/05/27/nx-s1-5403723/scripps-national-spelling-bee-champions
