A student at Newark’s Islamic Academy of Delaware will represent the First State at the Scripps National Spelling this May.
Siara Husain correctly spelled the word “codswallop,” which vaulted her to the championship at the Delaware Regional Spelling Bee. She was one of more than fifty students from public, private, charter, and home schools competing in the event at Del Tech’s Terry Campus in Dover on Saturday.
“Copswallop,” Husain’s winning word, means “nonsense or drivel.”
Husain moves on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee where a $50,000 prize is at stake.
Julia Keleher with First State Educate, a non-profit education organization and the regional partner for the spelling bee, called the event “the ‘Super Bowl’ of academics," and said the event highlights the good things about Delaware schools.
“Anything is possible," she said. The potential of those students is limitless, and when we've elevated the conversation around, look at what we can do, we're going to be able to go further faster.”
Students from the northern part of the state swept the top three places, with Aurelia Tran of Talley Middle School in Wilmington coming in second and Kshirja Chauhan of Caravel Academy in Bear placing third.
