LSU, Southern Offer Full Scholarships to Spelling Champ
The state of Louisiana is still bursting with pride over the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee last week. Zaila Avant-Garde, who is from Harvey has become quite the local and national celebrity since her amazing win.14-year-old Avant-Garde is the first African-American and first Louisiana champion at the revered spelling bee. And the nation has embraced her grit, determination, and of course, her beautiful smile.
Over the weekend, Zaila appeared at the annual ESPY Awards and even got to walk the red carpet. She was named checked by host Anthony Mackie, who is a New Orleans native as well. You can see his admiration in the video below from ESPN.
Her presence on national television shows like CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and the Today Show made us love her even more, and she told CBS, via WWL in New Orleans “It’s kind of like a dream come true because I’ve been working for that goal for like two years, and to finally have it is the best possible outcome."
And even though she hasn't even stepped foot into a high school yet, she has been offered full scholarships from two of her home state's most stellar institutions of higher learning. Southern University of Baton Rouge President Ray L. Belton tweeted out his admiration and an offer of a completely free ride on Saturday. And so did LSU President William F. Tate IV with an offer for a full scholarship to the LSU Honors program. You can see all the tweets below. Congratulations once again Zaila, from all your new fans, and your home state of Louisiana!
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