WASHINGTON — Shrey Parikh’s nerves were tamped down to almost nothing as he walked the stage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a place where the stakes are high and the pressure palpable. The 14‑year‑old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, knew exactly what it meant to be a favorite—and he didn’t let that weigh him down.
His confidence blossomed each time he faced a new, unfamiliar word; the more he conquered, the bolder he became. The Bee’s format tests spellers across multiple rounds – all of which culminated in an electrifying, 90‑second “spell‑off” tiebreaker against fellow contender Ishaan Gupta. Shrey answered every word with iron‑clad precision, spelling 32 words correctly while Ishaan managed 25.
That blowout result decided the Bee’s championship, granting Shrey the title of the Best Young Speller in the English language for the year.
Back in 2024, Shrey finished in third place, but a fever that year caused him to miss his school bee. The setback didn’t deter him. In the seasons since, he has lifted several online championships against a cadre of competitors who also fought his way to the final, herding into a shared spotlight in Washington’s tense halls.
With each showdown, Shrey charted a path of determination and mental fortitude, proving his command of language can stand up to the nation’s best—and at 14, he’s just begun his story.
