Mason student advances to Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Winning is not a new concept for 10-year-old Mina Vodella.

[00:00:04]>> This is from American Mensa. Um, so basically it's like this uh society for like people who are smart and um you have to be like the top 2% of to get it.

[00:00:17]>> Wow.

[00:00:18]>> The Mason Intermediate fifth grader skipped the fourth grade before winning her school be on this word. M A N G A N E S E >> manganese and went on to secure her spot in the national competition with these six letters.

[00:00:32]>> Uh, duck test.

[00:00:33]>> Can you spell that for me?

[00:00:34]>> D U C T U S.

[00:00:37]>> Her proud parents say she spends some nights studying the word list and dictionary up to 8 hours.

[00:00:43]>> Um, and she's learned so much.

[00:00:45]>> She radiates confidence all while balancing horseback riding, gymnastics, and swimming.

[00:00:50]>> He was able to get it very quickly compared to other kids. And would you read to her? She would understand it and then able to reproduce it right away.

[00:00:56]>> And then she was asking a lot of good questions >> like all >> which probably that I didn't think about.

[00:01:01]>> Yeah. So that inquisitess was there from the beginning and she was very early learner and very focused.

[00:01:07]>> She's got big dreams.

[00:01:08]>> My dad's a doctor and I'm actually pretty good at biology. So I think I might want to become a doctor and also I want to become president. But first, among them is a spelling bee w >> and we're excited. I mean, there's lot she knows and there's definitely lot she doesn't know, but we just pray that she gets the words that she knows.

[00:01:30]>> Mina's now on to the quarterfinals after correctly spelling the word chausible.

[00:01:34]>> I was actually pretty confident.

[00:01:36]>> Yeah.

[00:01:37]>> Yeah. Uh because it was like on the list and um I read the list.

[00:01:42]If she does secure the win, she says she'll use that $50,000 prize to invest in her college fund. We'll keep you updated on her progress and the other local spellers throughout the week. For WCPO9 News, I'm Jackie Bower.