Texas teen wins national bee with Greek word for communion

A 14-year-old boy from Texas won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States on Thursday with the Greek word “koinonia,” or spiritual communion.

Karthik Nemmani knocked out a whopping 515 contestants in his debut at a national bee, which was also one of the toughest installations of the event in its 93-year history.

I’m just really happy,” Nemmani said after his victory at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland, according to the Washington Post. “This has just been a dream come true.”

The winner of the bee receives $40,000 and a trophy from the Scripps Bee, a $2,500 cash prize and a complete reference library from Merriam-Webster, trips to New York and Hollywood as part of a media tour, and a pizza party for their school, the Washington Post said.