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Scripps National Spelling Bee champion offered full ride scholarship

Zaila Avant-garde of Harvey, Louisiana, became the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its nearly 100-year history.
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LOUISIANA — Zaila Avant-garde already made history as the first African American winner of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and now one university is offering her a full ride.

Louisiana State University president William F. Tate IV tweeted Saturday that Avant-garde's academic performance reflected scholarship first and modeled intellectual excellence. He offered her a full scholarship to LSU.

The 8th grader from Louisiana spelled the word murraya correctly to win the Bee. Besides her academic success, the Associated Press reports the 14-year-old is a basketball prodigy who holds three Guinness World Records for dribbling multiple balls simultaneously.