This past May, Tehzeeb Grewal became the 5A individual State Champion in UIL Spelling & Vocabulary for the first time in Wylie’s history, scoring the highest score in the entire state for all 1A-6A schools. She scored a 96/100 on the test and a perfect 20/20 on the tiebreaker section. According to Holly Kirby, her UIL spelling coach, this is “unbelievable in terms of student achievement.”
“This year, she raised the bar and soared above it. She scored higher than any other kid in the entire state of Texas, regardless of school classification,” said Kirby. “They pointed that out at the ceremony in Austin, and the state director told me her score was extremely rare and reflected a tremendous achievement on Tehzeeb’s part.”
Grewal said the test is a combination of a fifteen-minute section of 30 multiple-choice items focused on vocabulary and proofreading and a section of hand-written spelling of 70 words pronounced aloud to contestants, as well as a tiebreaker section of 20 additional pronounced words. She said 80 percent of the words come from the UIL’s “Word Power” list and the other 20 percent are vocabulary words from outside sources dealing with current events and culture. Kirby said the list changes every year.
From Left Brain to Right
The interest in competing in spelling and vocabulary wasn’t something Grewal really sought out, describing her path to a state title as “tumultuous”. It began with a suggestion from her father when the opportunity arose to participate in the 7th grade spelling bee at West Junior High. Since her interest lies in medicine and becoming a doctor, she had primarily focused on math and science and competing in TMSCA. Her dad helped her prepare for the spelling bee, and she placed third.
“My dad had me do it,” said Grewal. “We spent time studying the states and their capitals when I was younger. We bond studying together.”
Grewal had several teachers who saw her strengths with writing and memorization, which changed her trajectory from left-minded subjects to right-minded ones in high school. Her eighth-grade ELAR teacher, Kelly Trumble, suggested Grewal take the newspaper class during her freshman year, which requires a student to compete in UIL Journalism. Grewal did just that and selected UIL News Writing. During this time, Grewal also took World History with Mr. Garrett Dowell. Grewal said it was Mr. Dowell who noted her knack for memorization.
“I had not planned on doing UIL. Mr. Dowell was the one who convinced me to do spelling. He noticed my memorization skills were quick, and my recall was strong,” she said. “He is the one who encouraged Mrs. Kirby to ask me about joining the spelling team.” Grewal took Kirby up on the offer and competed in her first UIL Spelling and Vocabulary competition in May of her sophomore year.
Her Run for Gold
Students competing in UIL Academics compete as a team and individually. Wylie’s 2023 team did well, scoring first place in the district as a team with Grewal individually placing second. The team moved on to regionals, but state was not in the cards.
“I was disappointed for sure, but happy to be along for the ride,” she said. “I talked to Mrs. Kirby, and I did not want to let them [her team] down.”
Junior year would be different. Grewal practiced regularly using vocabulary practice tests, a software program the district provided that pronounces the words aloud, giving her the proper pronunciation and the opportunity to practice writing them upon hearing them. She studied 1,500 words in the UIL Word Power book and studied with flashcards. “I used a mix of everything to cover all the bases,” said Grewal. “I also ramped up practices closer to the meet.”
The team finished well as the 2024 regional runner-up for 5A Div 1, and Grewal moved on to the state competition that would take place May 15-18 at the University of Texas Austin campus. Grewal said it was overwhelming to be at the state championship with about 40 other competitors, but she started talking to others which helped her nerves. “The morning of the test, I ate breakfast, reviewed word patterns…I studied, studied, studied.”
The spelling and vocabulary test is written, unlike a spelling bee. Therefore, a competitor must wait for the results. “I was ecstatic! Jumping up and down,” said Grewal. “I raised my finger in a number one to tell the others who were with me.”
However, Grewal said the Wylie UIL coaches all already knew except for Mr. Dowell. “They didn’t think he could keep it secret,” said Grewal.
Dowell, who will act as the 2024-25 UIL coordinator, said it is hard to contain excitement for her. He currently holds the record for scoring a perfect score on the state UIL Social Studies test in 2008. “I’m pretty excitable having won a championship in high school,” said Dowell. “I know what it requires…just the culmination of it all.”
Super Spelling Powers
Grewal, who is as witty as she is humble, doesn’t believe she has special powers that make her great. She attributes her affinity for learning and life experiences as big contributors in her ability to recall the spelling and meaning of words. Grewal has always been a Wylie bulldog. Her parents moved to Abilene from California when she was an infant.
“I find it fascinating to have history and culture, like word origin, slip through the words, and since my parents are immigrants, I have a cultural awareness that helps,” she said.
Grewal said the medical terminology class she took with Mrs. Lang also helped due to many words having spelling patterns or root words seen in medical terms and since she wants to go into medicine there is a personal interest there.
As Grewal enters her senior year, she has plans. Her goal as the 2024 State Spelling and Vocabulary champion is team focused. “My number one goal is our team moving on to state.”
She also hopes to be an instrumental member of HOSA’s biomedical debate team and possibly add UIL Science to her competition resume.
By Kristen Johnson