[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18831-18832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO 2009 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WINNER KAVYA SHIVASHANKAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 22, 2009

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a 
constituent and resident of Olathe, Kansas, who recently achieved 
international acclaim. On May 27, 2009, during her fourth appearance in 
the national finals, 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar won the Scripps 
National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
  In her first year of competition, Kavya finished an amazing 10th 
place in the 2006 national competition. While most of us would have 
been thrilled that we reached the finals of a prestigious national 
contest, let alone placed so high among such an elite group, that was 
not true for Kavya. A typical 9-year-old might have gladly reclaimed 
the hundreds of hours of practice and preparation time and used it 
instead for their own enjoyment. Instead, Kavya returned to her 
spelling studies, competed again in 2007 and this time finished in 8th 
place.
  Still not satisfied, Kavya returned again in 2008 and was considered 
one of the favorites to win the championship. Kavya was one of the 
``Final Four,'' finishing in 4th place. Again, most of us would have 
been thrilled to be a national finalist three times--that would look 
pretty good on a college application in a few years! Instead, Kavya 
continued studying with her father and devoted much of her free time to 
preparation. And, this was in addition to her regular homework, music 
lessons and time with her family.
  This year, Kavya was in her last year of eligibility. Many of Kavya's 
fans, including many of my own staff members who look forward to 
cheering her on every year, worried that her heart would be broken in 
her last attempt. Instead, Kavya taught all of us a lesson in 
persistence and hard work. Poised and confident throughout the 
competition, she calmly wrote out a word in her hand that I do not even 
know how to pronounce--Laodicean--before spelling it correctly into the 
microphone and sealing her victory.
  I am perhaps even prouder of how she has handled her success. 
Immediately following her victory, Kavya did a round of media 
interviews all around the country that would make a presidential 
candidate's head spin. Always smiling, confident and polite, she 
repeatedly showed the world why she is a true champion. She was a 
wonderful representative of her family, her school (California Junior 
High School), her hometown (Olathe, Kansas), her sponsor (The Olathe 
Daily News), the state of Kansas and, indeed, our entire country.
  In addition to the pride and confidence she has from achieving her 
goal, she also won scholarship money and prizes totaling $40,000, which 
will come in handy, as Kavya aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Her 
interest in medicine was sparked when she prepared for--what else?--a 
spelling bee of medical terminology.
  We also learned a good spelling lesson from her family's identical t-
shirts, worn the day after the tournament, which said, ``How do you 
spell `champion?' S-H-I-V-A-S-H-A-N-K-A-R.''
  Finally, I would like to read into the Record an open letter written 
by Kavya, which was published in The Kansas City Star on June 21, 2009, 
and clearly shows the qualities that allowed her to reach this 
remarkable goal and that make Kavya such an inspiration to us all!

       What an incredible ride it has been for me in my quest for 
     the spelling bee championship! I have been participating in 
     the Scripps

[[Page 18832]]

     National Spelling Bee since 2006. I went from 10th to 8th to 
     4th place, and then I was finally able to take the much 
     coveted trophy in 2009.
       I loved going to Washington, D.C., each year during the 
     Memorial Day week! Bee Week has always been so much fun for 
     me because I got to meet the contestants and socialize.
       Many of them are returning spellers whom I looked forward 
     to meeting each year, and some whom I keep in touch with by 
     e-mail. All the regional champions believe in camaraderie and 
     understand that the dictionary, not the other spellers, is 
     their biggest foe.
       The sportsmanship everyone has is inspiring. I feel sad 
     that I am not able to participate in any more spelling bees 
     because if you pass eighth grade or if you win the 
     championship, you are not eligible to participate again.
       Preparing for spelling bees takes a lot of desire, 
     dedication, effort and time. My technique is to study root 
     words and etymological patterns instead of memorizing.
       This kind of preparation has greatly developed my 
     vocabulary and has allowed me to learn so many new words and 
     roots. But I have also learned so much more.
       This journey has taught me how to set a goal and achieve it 
     through discipline and hard work. I have also learned how to 
     stay composed under pressure and developed my confidence. It 
     also has really developed my public speaking skills.
       After my victory, I was rushed into a whirlwind of media. 
     My family and I traveled to New York so I could appear on 
     ``Live! With Regis and Kelly.'' We then went to Los Angeles 
     for ``Jimmy Kimmel Live.'' Those were both great shows, and I 
     really enjoyed being on them.
       When we returned home, a few local TV stations came to 
     greet me at the airport along with some friends. Many more 
     friends and neighbors were lined up on my street to 
     congratulate me, holding up large posters. It was great to 
     know that so many people supported me!
       I received many calls, and I was especially thrilled when I 
     received an invitation from the governor of Kansas, and calls 
     and cards from senators and congressmen. It was exciting to 
     know that I had their support and that they were able to take 
     the time to congratulate me. My family and I are expecting an 
     invitation from the White House in the coming months.
       I also received a letter from Children's Mercy Hospital 
     inviting me to come to one of its hospitals to visit the 
     neurology department and talk to the patients. This is a 
     great opportunity, and I will be looking forward to more 
     exciting opportunities like that, which will allow me to help 
     the community in any way I can.
       I have had a great experience and have learned many 
     valuable lessons to carry on in life. Most importantly, 
     preparing for spelling bees has brought me closer to my 
     family. They have been a great source of support and 
     encouragement throughout the whole journey.
       The bonds that have been forged and strengthened through 
     this process mean more to me than any other aspect of my 
     spelling experience.
       I am thankful to everyone who has helped and supported me 
     throughout this whole experience, especially everyone in the 
     Kansas City area. My advice to my peers is to follow your 
     dream, and be able to put in the hard work and effort to 
     achieve it.

                          ____________________