Ananya Vinay, the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, has had quite a year.
It started with confetti cannons on stage after she spelled "marocain" correctly. Then she made the rounds: talk shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live and other media appearances.
She rode in a limo to the Golden State Warriors' final basketball game of last season, and got to see the trophy presentation when her team won the championship.
"It was really exciting," she said.
She also toured the Google campus, got a rally at her school and had a day named in her honor by the governor of California. It was all a big surprise, she said.
And she's picked up other hobbies, too: she made it to the National Science Bowl, the state science fair and competed in Mathcounts.
She also wants to write more and join the forensics team. And she's started a website and tutors some spellers.
A lot of it comes from her Bee experience.
"It really gives you a lot of confidence," Ananya said. "It gives you a lot of knowledge about the world."
Ananya carried the trophy in to the opening ceremony Monday night and kicked off the Bee.
"I'm really glad to be back; I have a lot of friends here," she said. "I'm hoping for the best for every competitor."
