Shelby Junior High speller earns third entry into national competition

For Nate Britton, the third time could very well be the charm.

The Shelby Junior High School eighth grader has qualified for his third national spelling bee competition after taking the regional title.

“I’ve just developed a talent for it,” Britton said of his success. “It goes beyond just the words. I have learned how to study root words and patterns.”

Britton took first place in the Macomb Daily Regional Spelling Bee on February 15 with the world “allegiance.” Britton will now be in late May.

He will be competing more than 70 years after his grandfather won the Detroit spelling bee and competed in the national tournament.

“There is a lot of comradery in D.C.,” Britton said. “We are all very friendly. It makes for a great experience.”

For his third shot at the national title, Britton is focused on earning semifinalist status by being in the top 50 participants of the nearly 300 invited to compete. Students earn semifinal status based on a written exam and success in the formal competition.

From there, students take a second written test to place among the top 12 finalists.

While this Nate’s last year of formal competition in the Scripps Bee, words will continue to be an important part of his life as he moves on to high school in Utica Community Schools.

“It helps you in more areas than English. Root words and patterns are important in both science and math,” he said. “It helps you in a lot of areas.”