1990s Champions

Amy Marie Dimak

Amy Marie Dimak, age 13, sponsored by The Seattle Times, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “fibranne.”

Amy Marie Dimak married and became Amy Dimak King. She was a molecular biotechnology research technician before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She later became a nurse at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska.

Joanne Lagatta

Joanne Lagatta, age 13, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “antipyretic.”

Joanne became a neonatologist at Children’s Wisconsin hospital. Before that, she completed a residency and fellowship at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Amanda Goad

Amanda Goad, age 13, sponsored by The Richmond News Leader, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “lyceum.”

Amanda went to Harvard Law School and became a staff lawyer for the ACLU. She is the Audrey Irmas Director of the LGBTQ, Gender Studies and Reproductive Justice Project. She also won more than $30,000 in the 1996 Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.

Geoff Hooper

Geoff Hooper, age 14, sponsored by The Commercial Appeal, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “kamikaze.”

Geoff went to Florida State University and was on Bee Week College Crew. He became a transportation auditor for Relocation Management Worldwide.

Ned G. Andrews

Ned G. Andrews, age 13, sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “antediluvian.”

Ned received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He is an attorney in private practice and previously was an asylum officer. He spent several years on Bee Week staff.

Justin Tyler Carroll

Justin Tyler Carroll, age 14, sponsored by The Commercial Appeal, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “xanthosis.”

Justin graduated from Harvard University.

Wendy Guey

Wendy Guey, age 12, sponsored by The Palm Beach Post, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “vivisepulture.”

Wendy married and became Wendy Lai. She majored in economics at Harvard and worked at a bank and a fund of funds before deciding to become a teacher. She became a math teacher at a middle school in San Francisco.

Rebecca Sealfon

Rebecca Sealfon, age 13, sponsored by the Daily News, won the $5,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “euonym.”

Rebecca graduated from Princeton University, then completed master’s degrees at Duke University (in biology) and Columbia University (in computer science). She became a software engineer for Google and has since served in technical writing and consultant roles.

Jody-Anne Maxwell

Jody-Anne Maxwell, age 12, sponsored by Phillips & Phillips Stationery Suppliers, won the $10,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “chiaroscurist.”

Jody-Anne attended law school at the University of West Indies and the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She later became the director of national contracts at Addus HomeCare.

Nupur Lala

Nupur Lala, age 14, sponsored by The Tampa Tribune, won the $10,000 prize by correctly spelling the word “logorrhea.”

Nupur is a neuro-oncologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. She completed her internship and residency at Rhode Island Hospital-Brown University, and her fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.