(CNN) Zaila Avant-garde wasn't focused on her place in history on Thursday when she became the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 93 editions of the competition. The 14-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, won the 2021 crown after correctly spelling murraya -- a type of tree -- that she associated with the famous comedian. When she realized she won, Zaila gave a little spin and jumped in the air as confetti rained from the sky. "It felt really good to win because I have been working on it for like two years. So to actually win the whole thing was like a dream come true," she told CNN's "New Day" on Friday.

Source: CNN July 09, 2021 02:37 UTC