At 12, Danielle Smith can spell words that most kids her age can't even pronounce.
In fact, many adults probably can't spell some of the words that the 2013 Bahamas National Spelling Bee champion has come to memorize in the past few months. Words like 'schadenfreude' which means enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others, or
'mnemonic' which means assisting or intended to assist memory, are just a few of the words that Danielle has learned since she won the local competition in March.
Danielle's victory secured her spot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is one of the largest spelling competitions in the United States.
The competition will take place in Washington, D.C. this week.
Danielle, who will represent The Bahamas, yesterday expressed confidence that she will bring home the gold.
The eighth-grade student of St. John's College will go head-to-head with 281 spellers from around the world.
Danielle went 24 rounds to win the local competition in the Crown Ballroom of Atlantis resort on March 24. She said she expects the competition in Washington to be more fierce but is prepared for what's to come.
"I train all year round now. I think I'm going to do well," she said.
"I use my laptop to go on spelling bee websites, because they have tests you can take to test yourself on the words. I use the Internet and listen on the news for words I can find to put on my list and study."
Danielle said she can spell thousands of words. Her spelling coach Dr. Ruby Brown said her student has come a long way since she first began spelling bees just over three years ago.
"Some lunchtimes she comes to the class room and on Saturdays she comes to my home," said Brown, who teaches at St. John's College.
"She's had hours and hours and hours of training... She has lost some of her friends at lunchtime because of her training."
Brown said she is confident that Danielle will do well.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Danielle will be the winner," she said. "The same feeling I had when she was declared the national spelling champion, I have that same feeling and with prayers behind us we will be the [third] Caribbean nation to be the spelling champ."
In 1975, Puerto Rican student Hugh Tosteson won the competition, spelling the word 'incisor', which is one of the cutting teeth; and in 1998 Jamaican student Jody-Anne Maxwell won the competition, after successfully spelling the word 'chiaroscurist'.
In addition to Dr. Brown, several members of Smith's family traveled with her to Washington yesterday including her mother and two sisters.
"My family is just as excited and they believe that I can definitely win this," Smith said.
Danielle, speller number eight, will be spelling live on ESPN3 on Wednesday, May 29 at 8 a.m. (round 2) and 1 p.m. (round 3) when spellers 1 to 140 will be spelling.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been held since 1925.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian