David Firestone, 11, knows exactly how to spell out success, and a lot of other words.
It’s the first time the sixth grader from Hidden Oaks Middle School is competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee – knocking out millions of contenders in the process.
David’s been preparing for this moment since January, practicing every day.
"Doing 30 minutes a day just looking at words," he said, "and there were some words I couldn’t even pronounce!”
David’s mother Felice Firestone has been working with David one-on-one – reciting thousands of words until he gets them right.
“It’s hard to make working on spelling lists fun," she said, "Yet he sits down and he does it every day and i give him a lot of credit for that.”
All that hard work has certainly paid off – but David still has to face the ultimate test in our nation’s capital.
And even though he’s set out to earn the title of spelling bee champ, he believes the experience can be just as rewarding.
“I want to win but really, to me, it doesn’t matter," David added, "I just want to have fun, meet other people.”
And the people who already know David will be there to watch him shine.
"We are so excited for him and we are so proud of him," David's mother said, "and whether he’s out first or last we’re all going to be there rooting him on.”
Check back to wptv.com for updates on David's progress.