Wendy Guey

Wendy Guey from West Palm Beach, Florida, was the winner of the 1996 Scripps National Spelling Bee, when she was 12.cite news | url = http://www.cnn.com/US/9605/31/spelling.bee.winner/ | title = How do you spell victory? 'Vivisepulture': Girl wins national spelling bee on 4th try | work = CNN | date = 1996-05-31 | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ] She won after 13 rounds with the word "vivisepulture". [cite news | first = | last = | author = | coauthors = | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc.aspx?DOCID=1G1:83936762&num=9&ctrlInfo=Round20%3AMode20d%3ADocG%3AResult&ao= | title = Local Speller Out of the Race in the 5th Round | work = Los Angeles Daily News | publisher = HighBeam Research (republisher) | date = 1996-05-31 | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ] In the 1996 competition, Guey beat out Nikki Dowdy who failed to spell "cervicorn". Also in the field was Rebecca Sealfon, who would go on to win the 1997 competition.cite news | author = Bill Hemmer interview with Windy Guey | url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/29/ltm.11.html | title = National Spelling Bee Right Now Under Way | work = American Morning with Paula Zahn | publisher = CNN | date = 2002-05-29 | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ] As of 2006, Guey is one of only two winners to come from the state of Florida. [cite news | first = T.D. | last = Mobley-Martinez | url = http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/may/28/art_letters/?neapolitan | title = The art of letters - Liam and Margaret and just one more word: Two 13-year-olds prepare to represent Lee and Collier in the national bee | work = Naples News Daily | date = 2006-05-28 | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ] Guey's sponsor for the competition was The Palm Beach Post.She had previously competed in the 1993 (misspelled "meiosis"), 1994 (misspelled "farouche"), and 1995 (misspelled "mycetophagous") competitions.cite web | url = http://www.spellingbee.com/officialsandstaff.shtml | title = SHNSB Officials and Staff | work = Scripps National Spelling Bee | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ]

After completing school, Guey went on to attend Harvard University, majoring economics and East Asian studies.{ [cite web | url = http://www.maguireonline.com/2004bee.php | title = The Scripps National Spelling Bee, Washington, D.C.: Excerpt from American Bee | work = maguireonline.com | accessdate = 2006-06-23 ] She also became a member of the Scripps National Spelling Bee staff.

On episodes of the ESPN Classic show Cheap Seats, both the Sklar Brothers poke fun at Guey during showings of the 1994 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The brothers call Guey "Gooey" and refer to her as the cutest little speller and a mogwai, in reference to the character Gizmo from the film "Gremlins".

ee also

*List of Scripps National Spelling Bee champions

References