Esha Marupudi, a 14-year-old eighth grader at BASIS Chandler, clinched the Arizona Spelling Bee title on Saturday at Phoenix’s Madison Center for the Arts. She defended her championship by correctly spelling “penicillate” in the final round, earning a spot to represent Arizona at the national competition.
Unexpected Winning Word Seals Victory
Marupudi admitted she had never encountered the winning word before but nailed it under pressure. The event drew 28 elite elementary and middle school spellers who qualified through local and regional bees from over 500,000 participants statewide. Morning preliminaries fed into afternoon finals following Scripps National Spelling Bee guidelines.
Marupudi and runner-up Smriti Parajuli, also 14 from Yuma, will compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee from May 24–30 in the Washington, D.C., area. Marupudi finished eighth there in 2025.
Focus and Mindset Amid High Stakes
The six-hour bee spanned more than 20 rounds, with difficulty ramping up through words like “Guavina” and “teliospore.” Marupudi stays laser-focused: “I’m just going to focus on my word. I don’t have any control over anything else, just what I can do.”
Even beyond winning, she values the experience: “It’s about meeting and making friends and just learning how to work for something.” Her father, Sricharan Marupudi, credits her drive: “She is self-driven. All I had to do was provide her the resources and environment to help her achieve her goals.”
Parajuli shared her surprise: “I had no idea this would happen.” Her mother, Binita Parajuli, added: “She did everything by herself.”
Intense Atmosphere and Family Support
Audience tension built as spellers requested definitions and origins before deliberate letter-by-letter responses. Families watched intently—clenched fists for correct spells, quiet exits after eliminations, some with tears.
Emily Ramirez-Lara, senior director of programs and partnerships for the Arizona Educational Foundation and event spelling coordinator, likened it to sports: “It functions like any other sport. Students dedicate hours of time and effort, and they build skills that last well beyond the competition.”
Months of Dedication Pays Off
One family highlighted rigorous prep. Primal Vincent, father of fifth-grader Serah Primal who placed in the first half, noted: “She’s just in fifth grade, so we never expected to be here.” Her mother, Roshni Joy, said: “Each day, about two and a half hours she was dedicating to spelling. It’s her perseverance and confidence that got her here.” Primal encouraged: “Just be there.”
