Spelling Bee by Kiah

Spelling Bee by Kiah - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

The man looked at me and told me to spell “diplomat.” His enunciation of the word was unclear, so instead of hearing “dip-lo-mat,” I heard “dim-pla-mat.” I spelled the word confidently, knowing I was going to beat all the other competitors with no problem. Suddenly, I heard, “I’m sorry, but that is incorrect.” His words rang in my ears as I made my way to my seat at the back table. Tears stung my eyes as I watched the spelling bee continue without me.
My fourth-grade spelling bee was an eye-opening experience for me. I was always so sure of myself and my ability to accomplish any task I encountered. That day, I failed, and my ego was badly bruised. I sulked and stayed angry with myself for the rest of that week. My mom was so upset at the way I had behaved. She said, “You should be grateful that you actually had a chance to participate in that spelling bee.” I knew I had let my mother down. My teacher was disappointed with my behavior, too. She told me that everyone faces adversity at some point in life, and I needed to use that loss as a lesson for the next challenge I faced. At first, I didn’t want to hear what they were saying, but I knew they were right. I finally accepted that defeat, and the embarrassment I felt subsided. My classmates offered support and encouragement, and that helped me rebuild my confidence and overcome what I saw as a devastating loss.
Losing the school spelling bee taught me that winning is never guaranteed, and I need to be grateful for the whole experience instead of always focusing only on winning. I was always told that hard work pays off. My nine-year-old mind thought those words meant I was going to win every time I worked hard. I now know that I need to focus on living through the experience and learning as much as I can during the process. I am thankful I learned that lesson as a child because it helped me grow into a resilient woman.