Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

New York (TADIAS) – Seventh-grader Nejat Alkadir at Ledford Middle School in Davidson County, North Carolina spelled the final word correctly at a local spelling bee conetst to win a spot at the national finals in Washington, D.C.

“A first-generation American, whose mother came to North Carolina barely speaking English, bested 31 other students Sunday to win the 72nd annual Winston-Salem Journal Regional Spelling Bee,” reported the Winston-Salem Journal.

“Nejat Alkadir, a seventh-grader at Ledford Middle School in Davidson County, spelled “suggestible” correctly to clinch the win and earn a trip to the national finals in Washington, D.C. She went back and forth with second-place finisher Dharani Govindasamy of Guilford County. Then he tripped over “twoling,” which is a type of crystal.

“He was really smart,” an ecstatic Nejat said after the contest. “When he missed the word, I knew that was my chance.”

Her father said he was proud of his daughter and he is going to buy her a cellphone as a reward. “She’s got a good mind,” said Aminu Alemu, in an interview with The Winston-Salem Journal. He noted that in Ethiopian culture, children take the father’s middle name instead of the last. “God give it to her,” Alemu said. “I’m very proud.”

Read more at the Winston-Salem Journal.