The 59th annual Regional Spelling Bee champion, Devina Singh, was the star of a parade Sunday in Frackville.
"I'm extremely excited for the parade and to see everyone there who supports me," Devina Singh, 13, of Frackville, said. The parade was a special send-off for the North Schuylkill eighth-grader as she heads to Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The parade began about 1:15 p.m. at Singh's home and traveled through the borough with one stop at Englewood Fire Company. It continued to Interstate 81, where Singh took off for Washington, D.C.
"I'm excited to meet new people at nationals and see new places," Singh said.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will be held this week in Washington, D.C. Preliminaries will be Tuesday and Wednesday, with semifinals and championship finals on Thursday.
"I was more confident than nervous," Singh said about competing in the spelling bee.
The 59th annual Regional Spelling Bee was held March 1 at Blue Mountain High School. Singh attended the local spelling bee the past three years, but this year was the first that she placed.
Singh said that there were no hard words to spell in particular. Singh said she got a lot of sleep the night before in preparation but was not nervous for the spelling bee.
Among Singh's supporters are her friends, her band director, Matthew Tenaglia, seventh-grade English teacher and current spelling bee coach, Charlie Rice, and, especially, her family.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without my family," Singh said.
Rice stays with Singh after school for a half hour each day to help her study for nationals.
Singh said she is sad because this was her last year to compete in the spelling bee, since she is in eighth grade, which is the highest grade level allowed to compete.
Singh will be speller No. 213 at the national bee. Updates will be posted on The Republican-Herald Facebook page.
