THE SCIENCE OF STRESS DEFINING STRESS
“You look out and see your
friends and family rooting
for you. It feels amazing to
be that supported, to be
lifted up there. Then you
have to push that aside and
just focus on the word. The
pragmatism kicks in.”
—SPELLING BEE COMPETITORS
Kate Miller, of Abilene, Texas, was an
eighth-grader when she competed in
the 2014 finals of the Scripps National
Spelling Bee, and she shared her
thoughts on handling the pressure
with Shalini Shankar for the new book
Beeline. The event has become a
riveting highlight each spring on ESPN,
with a handful of students up to eighth
grade stepping into the prime-time
spotlight for the nail-biting finals, calmly
spelling esoteric words ranging from
“prospicience” to “autochthonous.”