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Bee winner shows hard work pays off

It could be argued that this year’s Tribune Chronicle Spelling Bee champion Isabella Pinto is wise beyond her years.

That’s not just because this eighth-grader from Bristol High School lasted 23 rounds involving nearly 200 words to win Monday’s 27th Annual Tribune Chronicle Spelling Bee.

It’s also not because she outspelled all 34 of her opponents who took the stage at Kent State University at Trumbull that night.

And it’s not even because she was able to call out the correct combination of letters for words that many of us have never even heard of, such as “wedel” and “witloaf.”

While all that is impressive, there’s much more to this bright young adult.

You see, at the age of just 13, Isabella already seems to have a grasp on a key to success that, even after a lifetime, many adults never seem to learn.

“I knew I wanted to do better than I did before so I thought I need to work harder,” Pinto said following Monday’s bee.

Of course hard work is the key! Unfortunately, that simple concept often eludes those who believe that somehow, we are just entitled to success without the necessary work and effort.

Isabella, however, had motivation and drive.

After placing fourth in the 2016 and 2017 bees, she knew this was her final year of eligibility.

And so she practiced — by herself, with her mom, with her family, with her teachers.

Mackenzie Pinto, Isabella’s mother, described the hours her daughter devoted. “I know she practiced spelling five hours on Sunday. Everywhere she went for the past six or seven weeks she had a notebook with her. She studied at school, in study hall and at lunch,” Mackenzie Pinto said.

And, without a doubt, that’s why Isabella Pinto took home the trophy Monday night, and why she will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals May 29-31. She also received a $4,000 scholarship pledge to KSU at Trumbull; a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged online; a Samuel Louis Sugarman Award of a 2018 United States Mint Proof Set; a one-year membership to Britannica Online Premium; and a $25 gift card from the Tribune Chronicle.

Certainly, her success fueled by dedication and hard work can be a lesson for us all.

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