The Memorable Spelling Bee



Sophia Carter sat in the front row of the Ardenne High School auditorium, in Kingston, Jamaica. The murmuring crowd buzzed around her—students, parents, teachers—but she focused on the even rise and fall of her breath.


She wasn't nervous. Not really.


Her best friend, Mateo, gave her a nudge. "You've got this, Soph."


"I know," she said, smiling.


The school's annual spelling bee was a big deal. It was tradition, stretching back fifty years. The winner's name would be engraved on a plaque in the main hallway, right under the gleaming glass display of past champions.


Sophia had always loved words. She loved the way they felt under her fingertips, the way they carried meaning beyond just letters. But she also knew this wouldn't be easy. Some people already whispered that she had an unfair advantage because she could "feel" the words in braille and could create a tactile image of words in her mind. Others doubted she could even compete.


She was here to prove them wrong.


Round after round, she spelled with confidence.


"Perseverance. P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E."

"Serendipity. S-E-R-E-N-D-I-P-I-T-Y."


"Ephemeral. E-P-H-E-M-E-R-A-L."


One by one, the other contestants faltered, and soon, it was just Sophia and Jake Reinhart, last year's champion. The final round.


The moderator cleared his throat. "Sophia, your word is… 'Resilience.'"


Sophia smiled. How fitting.


She could hear her heartbeat, the silence in the auditorium. Then, she spoke, her voice steady.


"R-E-S-I-L-I-E-N-C-E. Resilience."


The judge smiled. "That is correct."


The crowd erupted into cheers, but Sophia barely registered it. She simply stood there, hands clasped, letting the moment sink in.


When the applause faded, the principal approached her. "Congratulations, Sophia. You've made history today."


Jake, the runner-up, stepped forward. "Hey," he said awkwardly. "That was awesome. I mean it."


Sophia grinned. "Thanks, Jake. You were great, too."


As Mateo squeezed her shoulder and whispered, "Champion," she felt warmth spread through her chest.


She had won—not just the spelling bee, but something bigger.


She had shown them all that true vision wasn't about what you saw.


It was about believing in yourself.


The following week, Sophia walked into the school's main hallway. Her name was engraved on the plaque. Engraved in both text letters and braille letters.

She reached up to read her name in braille. A crowd of students lined up behind her.  After she left, each of the students reached up to read her braille name with their fingers. The school principal looked on. "This is how education is supposed to be," the principal thought to herself.

(This story is donated to the public domain. It may be freely distributed in print or digital form.)


--
--
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
https://pairsmathgame.com
https://philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/philshapiro.bsky.social

He/Him/His

"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."
"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options."  David Suzuki

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