By Ben Nuckols
Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.
His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”
He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.
On this episode of ChedHER: Soyini Chan Shue, CEO of City Safe Partners, explains her career journey from NYPD to CEO of a security company; Traci Wilk, Chief People Officer at The Learning Experience, explains the top skills and traits of a Chief People Officer - which is one of the fastest-growing job roles; Fonta Gilliam, CEO and Co-Founder of Wellthi, breaks down how she's creating a social app to help you reach your financial goals; Courtney Wiggins, Owner and Artisan at The Winsome Apothecary, is this week's Female Founder spotlight and breaks down how she's creating products that are good for the environment and your self care routine.
Vivian Barna, founder and president of All About Rabbits Rescue, Inc, explains what it takes to have a pet rabbit and encourages rabbit adoption.
Chef Danielle Sepsy shares tips on how to set a beautiful Easter table.
Lucasfilm announced Friday three new live-action films in the franchise at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023. One of the films will feature the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey.
How Women Ascended to the Forefront of Fitness Training
A Florida family on temporary hard times after a father underwent major surgery. After things picked up, the mother surprised their sons with a new home after living with friends and a hotel.
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The top entertainment headlines for April 6, 2023.
A Virginia fifth grader has made headlines for spotting an error in his science textbook. He noticed an igneous rock and a sedimentary rock had been labeled incorrectly and told his teacher who then helped get the message to the publisher, Five Ponds Press. The publisher reportedly sent a handwritten letter thanking the fifth grader for catching the error.
A two-year-toddler showed up with gifts in hand at the hospital to meet his new baby brother.
