When 14-year-old James Bailey entered ninth grade at Scottsboro High School in August, he brought along an incredible ability for correct spelling that earned him a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
In March, James won the 81st Alabama Spelling Bee by correctly spelling “abiotrophy.” That achievement gave him the right to join 287 other crack spellers from across the United States in competing for the top spot in the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The event takes place each May in the nation’s capital. James’ trip was sponsored by The Birmingham News.
The son of Amanda Bailey of Scottsboro, James made it through round two of the national bee, correctly spelling “magenta” for a scoring bonus. But that score, combined with the score on his round one written test, wasn’t enough to pull him through to round three. James, however, still came away a winner, bringing home several prizes, including a $100 savings bond, and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In addition to being an active member of First Baptist Church, Scottsboro, in Tennessee River Baptist Association, James plays saxophone in the Scottsboro High School Band.
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