re: LSU offers scholarship to 14 year old spelling bee champion Zalia Avant-garde!

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a full scholarship to its Honors College

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I don’t know if she is further along in high school than her age implies, but outside of a tragedy or something else negative the kids had to overcome with a connection to school how often are full academic scholarships offered by LSU to 14 year olds (honors college so assuming some academic requirements outside of Spelling Bee contest but maybe not considering who runs it)?

I am assuming she just finished 8th grade or 9th grade, and that’s the range I am wondering about offers of academic scholarships to honors college.


Also, unless it was more just confirming the kid or parents announcing it themselves the below makes it more come across as more promotional/look at me action from Tate:

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In a tweet Saturday, LSU President William Tate extended the offer to the Harvey, La. native.

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She could tutor football players right now

I was really impressed with her juggling and dribbling skills. I e never seen that before. Impressed UNTIL I noticed a poster of Fidel Castro in the room. She’s one of those aspiring commies.

I usually don't agree with stuff like that. But, this kid seems special.. Don't mind it at all..

Her dad’s last name is spacetime

Would be proud to see her at LSU, in particular an LSU Women's basketball uniform, then NASA uniform.

I think the sky is the limit for that young lady, and LSU needs more like her on campus.

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A spelling bee participant cannot be past 8th grade

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Not past 8th grade just when local competitions started or also when this final national event happened?

I don’t hear much about spelling bees in middle school around here. I am sure it takes place through 8th grade if that’s final year (just checked and they do through 8th but i guess i never really saw focus after elementary school), but because some parents from India seem to push their kids into tutoring from birth (if not before) and taking classes at high school while in middle school. Recognitions already seem to be about engineering and robotics and similar by 8th grade, or at least those that get pushed more to the top of school or district news.

I am not putting them down. Those kids do the work asked without complaints, and many still are fairly balanced doing other stuff (not just extracurricular to academic school stuff). Maybe they cut back on sleep, but i just think their parents push them early to be so organized and dedicated that they just don’t waste as much time as the typical teenager.

I feel bad for all those Indian kids who did not win. Their parents are going to give them a good beating for not winning it.

They are not going to get any TV or sports for one more year

I was wondering why there seemed to be a focus on labeling her african-american instead of black, but I just read she is actually second black with first being from Jamaica - “The only previous Black winner of the bee was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998”.

I get schools in territories or US military bases in other countries being included in national spelling bee, but besides Jamaica more countries have been sending kids (not sure exact process).

Is amount just still not enough or just inconsistent to justify having a international/world competition? Or should National competition change its name?

Admittedly I don’t pay attention, but when I read “second black” I was expecting 1st black winner to be a foreign exchange student from Africa or elsewhere who was in school in America or maybe a kid of a diplomat going to a school in America or other scenarios with key being school kid attends and started competition is in America or territory not a kid actually from and living in another country.

Anyone know which public school she attends in this state? Gubamint education is the best!!!!!