SACO, Maine —
"My favorite word probably is horderves, because that has a weird spelling."
Sebastian Shields is a seventh grader at Saco Middle School. He has been using all his free-time lately studying language and word patterns, so that when he heads to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. he'll be prepared for whatever word is thrown his way.
"At the National Spelling Bee, they can give you any word from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. There’s 470,000 words about," says Sebastian, as he points out that it would be impossible to memorize them all. So he's been studying language patterns -- one language a week. His parents are helping him where they can, but they are new to the world of spelling bees, as well.
"I am pretty nervous because I really want to do well. It is my very first year. I don’t know what to expect at the bee."
Not only is it Sebastian's first year at the National Spelling Bee -- it's his first year winning any spelling bee.
The 12-year-old won his school's bee, then went on to the county bee, and then claimed the title at the state spelling bee in March when he correctly spelled 'inerrancy' and 'colloid'. Sebastian says he didn't know the word inerrancy, but he was able to make some guesses that paid off, based on the definition. The word colloid, Sebastian had seen before, and his excitement at the Maine State Spelling Bee was almost palpable when he heard the announcer say the word.
"I was super excited when I won. I was not expecting that."
The Portland Press Herald is sponsoring Sebastian in the Scripps Bee.
Spelling well runs in Sebastian's genes. His great-grandmother won the Detriot Spelling Bee and the State of Michigan Bee in 1926. But the spelling gene may have skipped a generation.
"I don’t think I ever made it past my class bee," says Sebastian's father Bruce Shields with a grin.
"I won my school bee and I went on to the next competition and I spelled the word acre wrong," chuckles mom Tina Shields who grew up in Aroostook County where everyone farms, she says, and so it was quite an embarrassment to get that word wrong.
"All my kids know how to spell acre," Tina says.
Sebastian’s a busy kid. He’s on the swim team and math team. He runs track and cross country and plays saxophone in the school band and jazz band. And now in his free time when he is not doing homework, he is studying words -- something that his parents say surprised them.
Saco Middle School gave Sebastian a send-off Friday worthy of a superstar. Students lined the halls of the school and formed an aisle for Sebastian outside with posters filled with words of support.
“Sebastian is just the nicest guy," says eighth-grade teacher Noelle Gallant. "He's humble, and he's a just a really sweet kid."
Students cheered and chanted 196, Sebastian's spelling bee number, as he exited the school doors Friday afternoon.
Sebastian wants to make it to the top 50 spellers next week, but his teachers, friends and certainly his family are already proud of him.