By: Henry Wei

On May 30, a seventh grader from Tampa, Florida, became the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. Bruhat Soma, age 12, spelled 29 words correctly in 90 seconds. The winning word was “abseil,” which is a word used in mountaineering.

This victory happened in Bruhat’s 3rd spelling bee. In 2022, on his first attempt, he tied for 163rd place, and in 2023, he got 74th place. His determination paid off this year when he emerged as the national champion. Bruhat told NPR, “I’ve been working really hard, so I just put a lot of time into spelling. I’m really happy that I won. Like, I really can’t describe it. I’m still shaking.”

Bruhat’s win was helped by his 16-year-old spelling coach, Sam Evans. Sam told the Associated Press that Bruhat’s hard work was the reason he won. “I’m very happy that I could use my experience to help him, but at the end of the day, it’s all about his hard work and his dedication,” he said. “I’m so happy for him.”

For the prize, Bruhat got $50,000 and a trophy. The trophy was presented to him by Adam Symson, The CEO of the E.W. Scripps Company. On the news, he praised Bruhat’s determination.

Bruhat’s journey from tying for 163rd place in 2022 to winning the championship in 2024 shows his hard work. His story tells many people that with hard work, you can do anything.