Dear Teachers: Thank You For Supporting Me

Winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee is no easy feat. It takes dedication, persistence, hard work, and a lot of support. To qualify for the national stage, a school sponsorship is required, but more importantly, a dedicated teacher eager to host schoolwide competitions is essential.

I struggled to find a gateway to the national finals for a long time. In 2nd and 3rd grade, it was hard to find sponsorship, but that’s when I met Ms. Choi and Ms. Martin. They recognized my exceptional inner drive to pursue spelling and language and nurtured it accordingly. On top of the arduous task of coordinating a gifted program, Ms. Martin ran spelling contests in each classroom with the astute guidance of Ms. Choi. That was in 4th grade—2019, the year I first qualified for the finals held in Washington, D.C. Before my departure, Ms. Choi handed me a pamphlet with signatures from all of my classmates and a kindhearted note (that I still remember to this day): “You’ll always be our champion.”

That note kept me going during tough times when I thought I’d give up.

COVID canceled my 5th-grade opportunity, but I kept studying—decoding language and word meanings. In 6th grade, I was in a quagmire. I didn’t know many teachers willing to sacrifice time for the spelling bee, nor did I have many years of eligibility left (it only lasts until the 8th grade). I hit gold when I first saw Ms. Shank, my English teacher. I could already tell that she was an amazing teacher; I felt at home in her class.

I brought up my orthographical dream, and Ms. Shank exclaimed, “Wait! I hosted spelling bees at my old school.” Upon hearing this, I was ecstatic! Almost immediately afterward, Ms. Shank connected a group of teachers to organize the spelling tournaments. She took a chance on me, and for that, I am so thankful. She congratulated me after every victory, from the local bee to the regional.

In 2021, the National Bee was a virtual setup (due to COVID-19), and Ms. Shank sacrificed her time to proctor me. Even when I got out in the 3rd round (there were 20 in total), she supported me regardless of the result. She continued the encouragement in 7th grade as well, when I didn’t even qualify for the national bee. That was my hardest year; I was about to give up, but Ms. Shank’s kindhearted messages quelled my self-doubt.

For my final year of eligibility—the year I was ready to put in my 100%—I couldn’t find a teacher. Ms. Shank left Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School. So, I emailed everybody I could think of—Gifted Coordinators, Assistant Principals, and the Principal—but no one responded. I was scared. I genuinely thought that I wouldn’t be able to even participate in the spelling bee circuit. Thousands of hours of intense preparation and years of determination would have been fruitless. My family and I frantically called other schools across the county, but to our dismay, no other school was participating.

One day, I decided to take up the issue with my English teacher as a final shot. Ms. Micalizzi listened to me intently and assured me, “Dev, don’t worry. I will do it for you.” I hugged her, melting with joy. Ms. Micalizzi, already an 8th-grade teacher, sacrificed an entire morning of classes to run the schoolwide competition. She supported me as I progressed through the qualifying stages.

Before I closed my middle school chapter, she hugged me and said, “You got this!” And I did—I really did. My dream came true after years and years of endless work. I am so thankful to my parents and family for keeping me on track when I felt like giving up. But I also owe it to the teachers who supported me. They took a chance on me, and I am eternally grateful for that. Thank you teachers, for your work in and outside of the classroom.