LSU offers Spelling Bee champ full scholarship

Posted: Jul 10, 2021 / 01:50 PM EDT

Updated: Jul 10, 2021 / 05:14 PM EDT

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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRProud) – LSU’s new President is trying to keep Scripps National Spelling Bee champ in the state.

On Saturday, Dr. William Tate offered Zaila Avant-garde a full scholarship Saturday to attend LSU.

Zaila Avant-garde @basketballasart performed at the highest level in the National Spelling Bee. Your academic performance reflected scholarship first! You modeled intellectual excellence. @LSU_Honors awaits. I write to offer you a full scholarship to attend LSU. Here for you! pic.twitter.com/LopV3bdeWI
— William F. Tate IV (@WFTate4) July 10, 2021

The 14-year-old Harvey, La native is the first Black winner of the bee and only the second Black champion in the bee’s 96-year-history.

Zaila has described spelling as a side hobby, although she routinely practiced for seven hours a day. She is a basketball prodigy who hopes to play in the WNBA and holds three Guinness world records for dribbling multiple balls simultaneously.