It has been a whirlwind for Zaila Avant-garde in the days after becoming the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, July 8, 2021.
The 14-year-old high school freshman was catapulted to instant national fame after her spelling championship victory was aired live on ESPN. Her historic achievements and exceptional skills earned her an invite to the ESPYs this weekend.
If that wasn’t enough, the scholastic superstar teen was notified she’s been offered a full scholarship to attend Louisiana State University.
LSU’s president Williams F. Tate IV personally and publicly offered Avante-garde the free ride to the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, institution.
Zaila Avant-garde @basketballasart performed at the highest level in the National Spelling Bee. Your academic performance reflected scholarship first! You modeled intellectual excellence. @LSU_Honors awaits. I write to offer you a full scholarship to attend LSU. Here for you! pic.twitter.com/LopV3bdeWI
— William F. Tate IV (@WFTate4) July 10, 2021
Avant-garde became the first Black American in the 96-year history of the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee to take the top prize. Jamaican Jody-Anne Maxwell was the first Black person from any country to win the competition in 1998.
Avant-garde’s academic achievements actually brought more attention to her athletic feats as she has notched multiple Guinness World Records for basketball, USA Today reported. Avant-garde aspires to play in the WNBA.
Take a look at Avant-garde’s historic win below:
