US: Indian American student from Florida clinches victory at 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Maryland [US], June 2 (ANI): In a remarkable achievement, Bruhat Soma, a seventh-grade Indian-American student from Florida, has emerged victorious at the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Expressing his excitement and disbelief at winning the championship, Bruhat shared, “When I won, I was excited. I was really happy because, for the past year, I’ve been working hard. So when I just won, it was like a dream come true.”

Being of Indian-American descent, Bruhat’s victory holds special significance for many in India who were rooting for him. He told ANI, “A lot of my relatives in India, most of them are in India. They’ve sent congratulations. A lot of them watch the video. So, yeah, that’s pretty exciting to know that all of my relatives back in India were rooting for me.”

Hailing from Telangana, India, Bruhat discussed his plans to visit his homeland in the future. “I’ll probably go back in any summer, like for vacation. Or one of my relatives… They’re planning her wedding, so I might go back then. But yeah, it depends. But I’ll probably go back pretty soon,” he shared.

Bruhat’s remarkable memory prowess extends beyond spelling, as he revealed his accomplishment of memorizing 80 per cent of the Bhagavad Gita. “The Bhagavad Gita, I did this program called Prajna, and it taught me the Vishnu Sahasranamam and the Bhagavad Gita,” he disclosed.

Despite winning a significant prize of USD 50,000, Bruhat intends to donate the amount to a worthy cause. “Well, I mean, for the USD 50,000, I’ve decided to donate it to a good cause, but I don’t know the cause yet. But yeah, it will be for a good cause,” he stated.

Looking ahead, Bruhat aspires to become a doctor and believes that his championship win will aid him in achieving his goal. “Yeah, I want to be a doctor when I grow up, and this championship is going to help me get into a good university to study medicine better,” he remarked.

Reflecting on his experience on stage during the spelling bee, Bruhat recounted, “So, when I first heard that they were going to do a spell-off, I was nervous. My heart was pumping fast. But then I knew that I’ve been preparing spell-offs every day for six months with my dad.”

The talented young speller’s triumph is a testament to his dedication and hard work.