Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Alex Cabrero Reporting The teleprompter we read during newscasts has words we can pronounce and hopefully spell. They're nothing like what one Utah teenager is going to have to spell.
Ben Lobrot is a 13-year old student at Heber's Wasatch Mountain Junior High School. That's W-A-S-A-T-C-H M-O-U-N-T-A-I-N. Easy for me to spell, but they're not exactly the words that will be featured in this year's National Spelling Bee. Those are much harder.
No matter where you go, it's easy to see our society is made up of words and letters. They're our basic building block, letting us know what's where and where to go. But for 8th grader Ben Lobrot, these letters mean a whole lot more.
Ben Lobrot: "Some people tell me I use too big of words."
They're not kidding.
Ben Lobrot: "Agathokakological."
He can also spell it. Recently, Ben became Utah's spelling bee champion, earning him a spot in next month's national spelling bee. He spends about a half hour every day, studying words you and I have probably never heard of.
Ben Lobrot: "Callicack. Kishinya. Fundescense. I just basically read over them, and sometimes I spell them out loud to myself."
Ben's mother Stephanie knew early on her son had a gift.
Stephanie Lobrot: "When he was eight, he participated in the school spelling bee and he just got up there and won it. We were floored."
Ever since, Ben's been a big helper.
Stephanie Lobrot: "I call him to the computer all the time to be my spell check."
Even more than that, Ben knows he has a chance of winning it all, but wants to have fun at the same time.
Ben Lobrot: "That would be just unbelievable. I mean, I'll do my best, but I don't go to the extremes like some other kids do."
About 300 students will be in next month's competition in Washington DC. The top 30 or so will spell it out live on National Television, with a grand prize of 20-thousand dollars. So, if Ben wins it all, he'll also have to be able to count.
