For the second consecutive year, Philadelphia native Jayden Jiang won first place as the Regional Spelling Bee champion, writes Natalia Sanchez Loayza for Billy Penn at WHYY.
The 11-year-old is a fifth grader at Girard Academic Music Program.
As a result of winning this year’s competition, Jiang will once again represent Philadelphia at the Scripps National Spelling Bee later this year in Washington, D.C.
Getting to this point was no easy feat, as Jiang went back and forth for six rounds before clinching first place over second-place winner, Sofia Korschun, an 8th grader at Julia R. Masterman School.
Jiang’s family has been there to support him every step of the way.
His mother, Xiaojuan Ke, while proud and excited to see her son return to the Scripps stage, isn’t too surprised. She noted that Jiang enjoys quizzing and “ almost never makes mistakes.”
She credits her son’s study habits and love for reading, along with his “natural talent” for helping him become the supreme speller he is today.
He only started studying the 4,000 words just two weeks before the recent competition.
While he said he was nervous during the competition, he also exuded a confidence that led him to the win.
Read more about Jayden Jiang and his spelling prowess as he heads to the Scripps National Spelling Bee at Billy Penn at WHYY.
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