5 Questions: Vedanth Raju, Local Student in National Spelling Bee

Vedanth Raju doesn’t just spell words—he decodes them. The 12-year-old Aurora Quest K-8 student clinched victory at the Colorado State Spelling Bee after 29 tense rounds, correctly spelling “fretum,” a Latin noun meaning “strait.” With that, he earned the honor of representing Colorado at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 28 and 29 in Washington, D.C.

It’s a remarkable achievement, and one that runs in the family; his older brother Vikram placed second nationally in 2022. Vedanth’s passion for spelling goes far beyond memorization. For him, it’s about understanding language at its roots—literally. He studies Latin and Greek stems like a detective gathering clues, piecing together meanings and patterns to crack even the most obscure words.

But spelling isn’t the only arena where Vedanth shines. Just days before winning the spelling bee, he won first place in the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair with a completely plant-based topical gel to treat diabetic foot ulcers, and he’s already eyeing a future in medicine.

For Vedanth, winning competitions is an opportunity to represent his school, city and culture with pride. In this week’s 5 Questions, he shares what drives him, how he trains and why knowing your roots might just be the ultimate superpower.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Vedanth Raju. What is it you love about spelling, and why should kids your age get good at it?  

Honestly, I initially got interested in spelling by watching my older brother Vikram participate in spelling bees. I realized that I have a love for languages and decided to pursue this further.

I enjoy learning language rules/patterns and different roots in major languages such as Latin, Greek, etc. This helps me put together the spelling. I feel like a “word detective” using these various clues to decipher the spelling. Learning languages this way also helps you break down the meaning of words. 

For example, xiphophyllous means sword-shaped leaves. This is a Greek word made of two roots, xiphos meaning sword and phyll meaning leaf, with an adjective ending of ous. 

I think kids my age should be good at it because it also helps with vocabulary, makes you a better writer and you are also able to express yourself better. If you want to pursue STEM, knowing these roots will help you understand the scientific words better and will give you an edge. 

Your brother, Vikram, placed 2nd in the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee. What have you learned from his experience about preparing for the contest, meeting Mr. Bailly and having poise during the competition?

I have learned a lot watching my brother Vikram. He taught me that learning language patterns and roots is more important than memorizing words. It was an incredible experience to watch him be the first-ever speller to participate in a spell-off for the first time in Scripps’ almost 100-year history. 

It was nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. Vikram stayed calm and focused. He knew the roots and language rules for most of the words, except for a couple of words with an unknown language of origin. I am not a fan of words from an unknown origin because they don’t follow any particular pattern. I am planning on learning as many words as I can of an unknown origin so I can be prepared. 

I am a big fan of Dr. Bailly and was so excited to see him in person. He is very nice and puts spellers at ease, and that I think really helps them. He joined the finalists and their families during the White House tour. It was fun. 

Aurora made a big deal about your win, even naming March 25th Vedanth Raju Day. How do you feel about representing Aurora Quest K-8 and your community?

I am very grateful to my school, Aurora Quest, my community and the City of Aurora for this honor of a lifetime. March 25 is one of the best days of my life. I am very proud to represent this amazing community at the nationals. 

You also won the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair. What was your project, and how did you get the inspiration for it?

I created a completely plant-based gel to help treat chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers and to help reduce antibiotic use. 

I got inspiration for this project from my grandma’s kitchen. While visiting my grandparents one summer, my grandpa got a cut on his finger while slicing a mango. He rushed to the kitchen and filled the wound with turmeric. I was intrigued by that. When I asked him why he did that, he said turmeric helps heal wounds. I decided to research ancient herbal remedies further and learned that they are very effective.

You are quite accomplished at a young age. What would you like to do in the future, and why are you interested in that path?  

Thank you. I hope to become a doctor when I grow up. I think the medical field has such an impact on our lives, and you get to help people every day. I feel helping people feel better is such a rewarding experience.