When the final word is correctly spelled and the winner left standing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Bahamian representative Jee'Von Pratt can already visualize himself in the arms of his father, Austin, and mother, Neneth, celebrating. Pratt's goal is to walk away from Washington, D.C. with the win.
The St. Augustine's College (SAC) student earned the right to represent The Bahamas at the Scripps National Spelling Bee after he correctly spelled the word "billon" to claim the 20th Bahamas National Spelling Bee title. This year the Scripps National Spelling Bee marks nine decades and is one of the United States' oldest and most iconic competitions.
Pratt was declared the winner after 17 rounds and four hours of competition, after an "oversight" led to his wrongful elimination.
Pratt, whose winning word was "billon", was reinstated after his coaches appealed to judges that he had been eliminated from the ninth round unfairly after incorrectly spelling a word, as the other two competitors also spelled their words incorrectly in the same round.
According to the rules, because all three remaining contestants spelled their words incorrectly, each student should have remained in the competition.
He went on to beat India Bowleg, 11, of Gateway Christian Academy, and Sarthak Saxena, 11, of St. Andrew's School, making it the second consecutive year a SAC student has won the title.
Pratt won an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps competition in Washington, D.C.; $750 spending money; an HP mini notebook; Webster's Third New International Dictionary; a one-year subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannica; the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award ($100 U.S. savings bond); a watch; an iPad; wireless speakers; and a cell phone.
Mere days after walking away with the win, Pratt was already refocused and back to learning words. There was no time off for the 12-year-old, because he knows he has his work cut out for him.
"It's going to take a lot more hard work. I'm going to have to sacrifice a lot more of my time, so I'm just going to jump right into it," said Pratt.
To prepare for the national battle, he spent two hours daily learning words. It's a schedule he plans to adhere to in his preparation for Washington.
Learning words won't be a chore for the seventh grade student. Spelling was one of his favorite subjects in primary school.
"I loved learning the words. It helps with my reading and writing," he said.
A spelling bee's purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.
The day after he won the title, he returned to school, where his win was acknowledged with an announcement over the PA system. He also received congratulations from his friends as well as a few unfamiliar faces.
Pratt said walking away with the trophy made him feel accomplished and as if he had made history.
"I felt like God was looking down at me and was proud of me," he said.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place May 28 to June 3 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
The Scripps winner receives a $40,000 cash prize and the Scripps National Spelling Bee engraved trophy; from Merriam-Webster, a $2,500 savings bond and a complete reference library; from Encyclopedia Britannica, $400 worth of reference works, including a 1768 Encyclopedia Britannica Replica Set deluxe edition and a three-year membership to Britannica Online Premium; as well as a trip to New York City for the champion to appear on LIVE with Kelly.
Pratt will be among more than 280 spellers in Washington for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. And this year, the Bahamian competitor will compete against a five-year-old. Edith Fuller, from
Oklahoma, who became the youngest contestant ever to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee after she correctly spelled "jnana" and won her regional championship earlier in the month.
Fuller, who is homeschooled, beat more than 50 children at the Scripps Green Country Regional Spelling Bee in Tulsa, Oklahoma to advance to the final level of the prestigious competition.
Before Fuller's stunning achievement, the youngest spellers to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee were six.
There is no minimum age to compete in the competition.
Fuller's accomplishment motivates Pratt.
"I just had more confidence in myself, because if she can do it, I can definitely hope to do it," he said.
And there's more to Pratt than just a good speller. He's first in his class, and has the highest grade point average (3.94) out of the seventh grade class.
He attributes his academic success to his father, who he said pushes him to do the best he can, to never settle for less or let his mind hold him back.
When he's not learning words, Pratt said he likes to read and play the piano. He also likes building Lego robots. As the youngest of six children, he says he's the spoiled one, and is always using his tablet.
In Washington, he intends to take in all of the monuments and sites.
Since 1976, the Scripps Bee has included competitors from outside the United States. This year, spellers from six non-U.S. countries will participate in the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee -- The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and Korea.
Pratt will be heading into a competition that has also only had co-champions four times in its history -- 2014, 1962, 1957 and 1950.
Saxena and Bowleg will accompany him to Washington.
In The Bahamas National Spelling Bee's two decades, the winningest school has been Grand Bahama Catholic High School, with four champions; Anjanet Loon won back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007 and Deshae Morley and Denice Deveaux won in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
With Pratt's win this year, St. Augustine's College now has three wins to its credit; with Abeni Deveaux in 2009 and Donovan Butler in 2016.
St. Francis De Sales School and St. George's High School have had two wins each.
St. Francis De Sales School's wins have come from Robertha Dean-McIntosh in 2008 and Yelena Persaud in 2010.
Joeanne Salise won in 2003 and 2004 for St. George's High School
The Nassau Guardian is a sponsor of The Bahamas National Spelling Bee.
In The Bahamas, the Archdiocesan Spelling Competition, which this year celebrated its 50th year, is the oldest formal spelling competition.

Past spelling bee winners
2016 -- Donovan Butler, St. Augustine's College
2015 -- Charles Hamilton Jr., St. Anne's School
2014 -- Prachi Kondapuram, Queen's College
2013 -- Danielle Smith, St. John's College
2012 -- Peloma Cartwright, N.G.M. Major Senior School
2011 -- Sujith Abhishek Swarna, Forest Heights Academy
2010 -- Yelena Persaud, St. Francis De Sales Catholic School
2009 -- Abeni Deveaux, St. Augustine's College
2008 -- Robertha Dean-McIntosh, St. Francis De Sales Catholic School
2007 -- Anjanet Loon, Grand Bahama Catholic High School
2006 -- Anjanet Loon, Grand Bahama Catholic High School
2005 -- Chelsey Bipat, Kingsway Academy
2004 -- Joeanne Salise, St. George's High
2003 -- Joeanne Salise, St. George's High
2002 -- Kellen Knowles, home schooled
2001 -- Denice Deveaux, Catholic High School
2000 -- Britanny Wilkinson, Freeport Anglican High
1999 -- Deshae Morley, Grand Bahama Catholic High School
1998 -- Dominique Higgins, Prince William High School

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