The past two terms have been an incredible journey as I participated in the Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee. Here's a recap of the exhilarating experience:

It all began at Christchurch Girls' High School / Te Kura o Hine Waiora, where 11 years 9 and 10 students like me spent nearly two months preparing for the preliminary spelling test. This test, held at schools across the country in July, determined the top 280 spellers in New Zealand who would advance to the nearest of 6 semi-finals across the country.

Out of our Christchurch Girls' High School / Te Kura o Hine Waiora students, a remarkable nine of us received invitations to the Central South Island Semi-Final. This event gathered 43 of the top spellers from the South Island, all vying to place in the top 4 in our semi-final and therefore a place in the Grand Final, held in Wellington.

The Central South Island Semi-Final was no walk in the park. Competitors faced the daunting task of approaching a microphone onstage, in front of judges and a live audience, to spell some incredibly challenging words. While none of our Christchurch Girls' High School / Te Kura o Hine Waiora spellers were eliminated in the first round, the second round saw Matisse Foster, Alisha Arora, and Dorothy Nguyen, unfortunately, stumble on their words and bow out of the competition.

In the hard-fought third round, we bid farewell to Poppy Archer, Lily Rumball, Sehar Ali, and Charlotte Bealing.

However, the fourth round provided a glimmer of hope as the remaining Christchurch Girls' High School / Te Kura o Hine Waiora spellers held their ground, with no eliminations.

In the final round, it was a battle of nerves and vocabulary. Lio Collins and Isabella Kerr, unfortunately, faced setbacks and lost their chance to qualify for the Grand Final.

I am thrilled to share that I made it past the final round of the spelling bee, earning a coveted spot among the final four competitors of the Central South Island Semi-Final. This achievement qualifies me for the Grand Final, which comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to Wellington to compete in the Aotearoa Spelling Bee Grand Final, scheduled for the 3rd and 4th of November.

In Wellington, I will join 23 other top spellers from across New Zealand, all vying for the prestigious title of New Zealand's Top Junior Speller 2023, a prize of $5000, and the coveted trophy.

Medha Baadkar, 10DLM