The word was illuminati. Katie Brooke Smith, a seventh grade student at Clarkdale Middle School, tried to concentrate in the fifth round of the Lauderdale County Spelling Bee. She stood in the middle of the stage, bending over to speak into the microphone, set too low for her to stand straight. 

“Illuminati. I-L-L-U-M-I-N-A-T-I,” she said, spelling the word out on her hand. “Illuminati.”

With that word, Smith snagged the first-place trophy and a chance to compete at the state level March 14 in the Mississippi State Spelling Bee.  In one more round, one of her friends, Lauren Belk, also a seventh grade student at Clarkdale Middle School, received the second-place trophy by correctly spelling ‘elixir.’

Ross Joles, a seventh grade student at Northeast Lauderdale Middle School, and Emily Snodgrass, a sixth grade student at West Lauderdale Middle School, battled for a few more rounds for third and fourth place. Eventually, Joles won third and Snodgrass took home fourth.

Forty-nine students, from fourth grade to eighth grade, competed Friday in the McCain Theater from 9 a.m. until nearly 11 a.m. The students, all from Lauderdale County schools and Russell Christian Academy, had all placed in the top two at a spelling bee at their elementary or middle school previously to qualify for the county-wide spelling bee. The bee is sponsored by The Meridian Star and Meridian Community College.

Most participants were eliminated in the first two rounds, with four contestants making it to the fifth round. 

After winning their trophies, Smith and Belk posed for photos and congratulated each other. 

“I just enjoy spelling,” Smith said.

“I’ve always liked spelling,” Belk agreed.

Though the two never studied together, both said their parents helped them learn the words.

“Every night I’d study,” Smith said. 

“I didn’t think I’d be so nervous,” Belk said.

“Once I got past the first round I felt better,” Smith agreed.

The two agreed that studying with their parents helped them nab their trophies, especially on their final words.

“I could just picture it written out on a piece of paper,” Belk said about ‘elixir.’

“I’d been over ‘illuminati’ with my dad and I’d missed it the first time,” Smith said. “But I got it on the second try.”

Mother Stephanie Belk and father Wayne Smith waited for their daughters off-stage, sharing their congratulations after the competition.

“She gets all the credit,” Wayne Smith said. “We taught her at an early age that education is important, learning is important. I told her even if she got out in the first round I’d be proud.”

“I’m a good speller so she comes by it naturally,” Stephanie Smith said. “But she worked really hard and I’m proud. She’s made it every year.”

As the two winners left the nearly empty theater, both girls had just one question for their parents.

“Can we go to Chick-fil-A?”