[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 81 (Monday, June 14, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S6726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATING SHANKARI RAJAGOPAL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I congratulate Shankari Rajagopal on her 
outstanding performance at the 77th annual Scripps National Spelling 
Bee.
  Nevada's lone speller at the national competition, Shankari outlasted 
219 of 265 contestants to earn a spot among the top 46 competitors. An 
eighth grader at Churchill County High School, Shankari won the Nevada 
State Spelling Bee in March to earn the right to participate in the 
national competition. She had finished 12th and 6th in the State 
contest the previous 2 years.
  Administered by The E.W. Scripps Company in conjunction with more 
than 250 sponsors around the world, the Scripps National Spelling Bee 
is the Nation's largest and longest-running educational promotion. Each 
sponsor organizes a spelling bee program in its community, with the 
local champions advancing to the finals in Washington, DC. This 
tremendous program helps thousands of students every year improve their 
spelling and expand their vocabularies through a fun competition.
  I was able to visit with Shankari an hour before her last day of 
competition. She was relaxed and satisfied with her tremendous 
accomplishment, as well she should be. I was very impressed with her 
parents who came to Washington, DC, to support her. They too were proud 
of what she had accomplished, and this helped to put her at ease.
  I have seen too many parents, in athletics and other student 
activities, put such tremendous pressure on their children that it 
takes away from the pleasure of the student's involvement. But not so 
with Shankari's parents. I congratulate Jeeks and Karpagam, her mother 
and father, for doing such a great job of raising their daughter.
  The Fallon community and the State of Nevada can take great pride in 
Shankari's performance in the State and national competitions. It 
reflects her strong commitment to her education and her tremendous 
potential. Please join me in congratulating this talented young Nevadan 
on her impressive achievement.

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