from Katherine Vargas, Press Secretary, KeepersoftheAmericanDream.org
“I can’t lie—I really want that trophy,” said 12 year old Nicole Petry when she was asked about the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition.
Her statement would have surprised anyone who knew Nicole three years ago when she arrived from Brazil and was too embarrassed to speak up in class because of her broken English.
Going to school was a daily struggle. She recalled that one of the first times she spoke up in class she didn’t say anything but “meow” when her teacher asked her a question.
Over the next year she worked hard and made great progress to become more proficient in English.
As Nicole’s confidence grew, she decided to enter her school’s spelling bee and won the school competition. The following year, she championed the Fort Worth, TX school district spelling bee.
The secret to her success – practicing with her mother every night. By quizzing her on words, Nicole’s mother said, “She’s teaching me while I try to teach her.”
Have you ever struggled with something to get to your American Dream? What did you do to overcome it and succeed? Share it with us at KeepersoftheAmericanDream.org.
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