The 90th National Scripps Spelling Bee is underway in Washington DC and an 8th grader from Mid-Michigan is hoping to walk away the winner.
Ian Shasha is in DC for today's preliminary rounds. The 8th grader attends Middle School at Parkside in Jackson. It has been a goal of his for years to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Ian is speller #150. He will be competing against hundreds of students including ten students from Michigan. If Ian makes it to the final round, he has a chance to win a cash prize of $40,000 and a trophy from Scripps, along with a $2,500 savings bond and complete reference library from Merriam-Webster. The spelling champ also wins a trip to New York to appear on "Live with Kelly and Ryan", and a trip to Hollywood to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".
The finals are Thursday, June 1. Good luck Ian and all of the other students competing!
