Jamaica's quest for spelling glory starts tomorrow

Rhea Braithwaite

RHEA BRAITHWAITE'S quest for spelling glory officially begins tomorrow with the preliminary round of the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee competition.

The 13-year-old Ardenne High School student, awash with the blessings of the Jamaican and Caribbean community in Washington, D.C. (location of the spelldown), will be vying against 200 other spellers. Those who survive tomorrow's knockout round will go for the prestigious title of spelling champ on Thursday, June 1.

In 1998 fellow Ardenne student, Jody-Anne Maxwell, became the first non-American in the history of the competition to take the title. New rules sidelined Jamaica last year.

On the weekend Rhea, who topped the field in The Gleaner's national Spelling Bee, was feted at a luncheon attended by about 60 people -- Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Guya-nese and Barbadians.

Karin Daley, The Gleaner's Manager of Overseas Publications and Product Improvement, told the gathering that The Gleaner was committed to education and literacy, staging and sponsoring the the national Spelling Bee throughout the competition's 41-year history.

Rhea's participation in Scripps Howard is also being sponsored by Sangster's Book Stores and Air Jamaica.

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