Jamaica's new Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee champion, Shari-Jo Miller, has shifted her focus to a new level.

She is keen to take on the challenge of the United States Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition won by Jody-Anne Maxwell a decade ago. The first-form student at Bishop Gibson High School for Girls in Manchester won the local competition in New Kingston on Wednesday.

"I am excited about going to Scripps Howard," the 12-year-old said of her prospects in the upcoming US competition. "I think I will do well."

The soft-spoken student emerged the top local speller from a group of 14 parish champions who competed at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

"I am impressed," said Emile Spence, executive of Jamaica National Building Society, one of the competition sponsors. "She is a bright girl."

Love of knowledge

An only child, she was reading simple words when she was one year old, her mother, Levonne Miller, said. The family fed her love of knowledge by reading to her and buying books of interest.

Miller, an accounting clerk, along with her husband, Stephen, a painter, said they sacrificed time and resources because they saw potential in Shari-Jo. Choosing to have only one child also allowed the family to focus its resources on her.

"It took hard work to achieve her spelling ability," Mrs Miller said. "She got a lot of family support. That is what did it."

Shari-Jo has now become an experienced competitor after training every day. She first entered the competition aged seven, and placed 20th. Last year, she took fourth place, her mother declared.

"I coached her from last year," stated Mandeville Primary and Junior High School teacher Primrose Swaby. That meant workouts lasting from 5:30 to 9 p.m. after school.

"She is very serious about her work," the teacher said. She might be tired in a session, but she did what was required.

Swaby has had 27 years as a Spelling Bee coach without producing an overall island champion, but said a visit to the Scripps National competition last year spurred her determination.

Miller said that outside of her schoolwork and rigorous training schedule, her daughter does her chores, surfs the Internet and still finds time to read.

"We turn off the light for her to go to bed, but she uses a flashlight to read when she is supposed to be sleeping," Mom said.

Word to the wise from Shari-Jo

If you have anything that is important to you, you need to buckle down and devote yourself full time to it.