San Diego Celebrates Spelling Bee Champ
SDSU surprises Snigda Nandipati by offering the eighth grader a four-year scholarship.
San Diego State University joined the San Diego community today in honoring Snigda Nandipati, the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Nandipati was recognized at an assembly in front of hundreds of her classmates at Francis Parker School.
At the assembly, SDSU President Elliot Hirshman surprised the eighth grader with a four-year scholarship offer to SDSU.
“On behalf of SDSU’s 330,000 faculty, staff, students and alumni, I join with the entire community in celebrating Snigda’s accomplishment,” said Hirshman. “SDSU’s theme is Leadership Starts Here and Snigda is exactly the kind of student that we want to attend our university. We hope she’ll join us after high school as part of the Class of 2020.”
Snidga Nandipati Day
Kevin Yaley, head of school for Francis Parker, announced that today is Snigda Nandipati Day in the City of San Diego on behalf of Mayor Jerry Sanders. The school also unveiled a banner recognizing the spelling bee champion which will be hung in the auditorium along with the many athletic championship banners.
Nandipati was also presented with the Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy. The UT San Diego, San Diego County Office of Education and Sea World were also in attendance. A number of Nandipati's family members sat alongside her during the ceremony and Hirshman made sure the crowd acknowledged their support as critical to her success.
A true leader
Yaley said Nandipati was instrumental in starting the spelling bee competition at Francis Parker, which the school did not have until Nandipati approached them about it.
Nandipati is the two-time champion of the San Diego County Spelling Bee, the winner of which goes on to the national bee in Washington D.C. On May 31, Nandipati correctly spelled the word “guetapens” to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
