Many of us have participated in school spelling-bees at least once, but what happens when winning means representing Puerto Rico in the Scripps National Spelling Bee? Here’s the story of Julianna Canabal, a first-year English major who between 2008 and 2011 got the chance of a lifetime to do what she loved.
Name: Julianna M. Canabal-RodrĂguez
Age: 18
Hometown: MayagĂĽez
Year of Study: 1st
Major: English
How did you get to represent Puerto Rico in the Scripps National Spelling Bee (SNBS) & what was your initial reaction towards the receiving the news?
Well, it was an extensive process. I competed and won at my school against around thirty other contestants. Then I competed at the regional spelling bee against students from the western area of the island, and after weekdays and weekends of poring over letters, Greek and Latin root words and spelling lists, I finally won the Island-Wide Spelling Bee, becoming the representative of Puerto Rico at the Scripps National Spelling Bee from age 11 to 14. My reaction was pretty bold, as usual. I cried on national TV!
How did the responsibility of representing Puerto Rico worldwide ever make you feel like you were in the spotlight?
I can honestly say that I never felt the spotlight on me. It was a bizarre emotion, knowing that millions of people were watching me from their television screens, especially those back at home. It’s like, I knew they were there, but I never fully processed it. But while I stood on the stage my focus was on the pronouncer, the word I had to spell, and ransacking my head to figure out which letters to spell, and spelling them in the correct sequence.
In what ways has the SNSB changed you?
The SNSB’s fingerprints are all over my personality. It has expanded my vocabulary and awoken in me love for words, for their origins, and sounds. The SNSB was also the link to some of the most intellectually engaging, funny, and diverse group of friends I have met in my life. Meeting these people from across the globe motivated me to travel to new places and meet all kinds of people; it made me conscious that my world spanned beyond my hometown of Mayagüez.
Why did you choose to study English?
I chose to study English because of all the fields of study, it seemed like the right fit for me. Writing, analyzing, reading, revising and editing are all fundamental wherever I pursue my career. Beyond my love for literature and linguistics, I feel like learning about all these human experiences captured in literature will help me become a worldlier and perhaps more understanding person.Â
What do you aspire to become after you finish your bachelors?
I see myself pursuing stories as an international journalist, or doing some kind of journalism, but I could also as easily see myself involved as a member of the UN, or maybe even as a human rights lawyer.Â
If you could go back in time, what would you tell the 11 year-old you and why?
I would tell myself to ease into life a little, that it wouldn’t be long until I met genuine friends who would be there to be patient and understanding with who I was, and who I was yet to become.Â
Tell us, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I’m a pretty low-key person. I spend a lot of time looking for diverse TED talks about the universe, evolution, and the quest of human rights in many countries. Also driving around with my friends and talking about what matters to us, doodling on notebooks with Sharpies, writing letters (that mostly go unsent), and reading all kinds of things.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Study broadly and without fear. Read a little bit every day, (learn another language if you can) but most importantly try to surround yourself with people you like and make cool stuff with them. It’s not what you do but who you do it with.”  To be fair, John Green said this in a video, but I consider him a friend. A lot of what life’s best moments are comprised of is not where you are, but who you spend your time and collaborate with.
What’s your favorite phrase/quote and why?
The historian Howard Zinn titled one of his books “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.”. I absolutely loved this quote as a concept because it’s both a reminder and a command. Like, “Don’t just stand there, contribute!” Whether it’s the feminist or LGBTQ+ movement, or a club you’re a part of, it is an excellent reminder that you are capable of contributing and being helpful, and that trying is much better than remaining inert. Â
Â
Â
*Picture provided by Julianna Canabal