By Anton K. Nilsson

Emotions ran high at the eighth annual P.S. 94 spelling bee. For the 26 participating fourth and fifth graders, the dominant feelings were of excitement and stage-fright; for the three finalists, it was all P-R-I-D-E and J-O-Y. 

Fifth-grader Naushin Sakirah won first place by correctly spelling the words “intuition” and “communication.” The spelling bee champion smiled proudly as she sat in the library upstairs from the auditorium, wearing a gold sash over her school uniform and clutching her trophy. “It is the second year in a row that I won,” she said. “I would do it again if I could. It is really fun.”

Near Naushin was her mother Sonia Nasrin, standing and smiling as she glanced at her daughter. “I am very proud,” Nasrin said. “My daughter is very intelligent and has always been good at spelling. I hope she will keep competing.”

Appearing in front of a crowd of 400 students was certainly overwhelming for Naushin.

“I was definitely nervous, but my parents and friends helped me,” she said. “I faced my fears of speaking on a public stage. I just closed my eyes and focused.”

Overcoming stage fright is one of the main benefits of holding a spelling bee, said Diane Daprocida, principal of P.S. 94. “It teaches the students to work under stress, to speak publicly, and to study hard. It also teaches resilience—how to handle a loss.”

And with a lineup of 26 nine and ten-year-olds, there could only be one winner and 25 disappointed faces. By the end of round one, 12 contestants were eliminated, stumped by words such as “fortieth” (“fortyth”), “tongue” (“tounge”), and “abandon” (“abonden”).

Afia Shanin ran out of luck in the fourth round. The word “measurable” spelled her downfall. “I was nervous—poisoned by stage fright,” Afia said.

Nushera Nahia and Imran Rahman, both fifth-graders, placed second and third, respectively. They sat next to the champion Naushin at the table, waiting for pizza and cake—an added bonus for spellers. It’s considered a break for the finalists, who practice spelling daily.

“My weeks are very busy,” said Naushin. “If I have any spare time after completing all my homework, I practice my spelling.”

But their days are not always about spelling.  For Naushin, daydreaming and sketching are everyday activities while Imran’s top priorities are “sleeping and reading.” For Nushera, “eating hamburgers, talking on my mom’s phone, and sketching” are just some relaxing aspects in her life.

As for the future, Naushin, Nushera, and Imran have it all figured out. Imran looks to become a computer engineer, while Naushin and Nushera aim to be doctors. “And a poet,” Naushin added. “That is what I’m going to be—a doctor, and a part-time poet.”