NEW YORK—Council members Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), and Daniel Halloran (R-Whitestone) took a break from budget cuts and zoning issues Monday, awarding Arvind Mahankali, a seventh-grader from Queens, a New York City Council Citation. The 12-year-old came in third at the National Spelling Bee last week.
“Arvind’s success as a finalist in the National Spelling Bee is inspirational, demonstrating that anything is possible if you work hard,” Weprin said.
Mahankali currently attends Junior High School 74 Nathaniel Hawthorne in Oakland Gardens, and is starting eighth grade this fall. He placed third two years in a row, and was the youngest of the nine finalists this year.
“Congrats to Arvind for his victory. We’re proud of his achievements and salute his hard work. Any way you look at it, Arvind’s a W-I-N-N-E-R,” Halloran said.
Mahankali brought home $7,500 from this year’s competition.
This year, 278 spellers competed for the title of 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. The E.W. Scripps Company is planning an international spelling bee, which could take place as soon as December 2013.
Snigdha Nandipati, a 14-year-old from San Diego, was this year’s champion. She took home $30,000 for first place, a $5,000 scholarship, and a $2,500 savings bond.
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