Eighth grade student Mohamed Elhadi is eager to compete in the regional Scripps Spelling Bee on March 28.
The 14-year-old will represent the Menands School against the top spellers from around the region during the Albany competition.
The winner will advance to a regional qualifier competition in pursuit of competing at the national competition in Washington, D.C., with a $50,000 prize.
“I feel pretty good. I need some practice to feel better about it, but I feel pretty good,” Elhadi said recently.
Practice entails studying a large packet of words and then having his mom, Rashaa, a teacher’s aide at Menands, quiz him.
The eighth-grade student undertook a significant amount of practice before the school’s spelling competition – which he won by properly spelling “dictatorship.”
“I practiced a lot with my mom, Rasha, and worked a lot on the words I didn’t get right at first,” he said.
Adding to the Elhadi’s sense of excitement in representing Menands at the regional event is the fact that English isn’t his first language. The teen first learned Arabic before moving to the United States about 10 years ago.
Karyn Seymour, Menands grades 6-8 English language arts teacher, said students such as Elhadi who compete in the competition are top scholars.
“These are exceptional students who represent the very best of their classes,” she said. “The event showcased the hard work, dedication and academic excellence of all participants.”