Author and spelling bee champ featured at LEAD Girls of NC Expo kick-off event

By David Winship LEAD Girls of North Carolina kicked off their 6th annual Rising EXPO, themed “Change Makers in the Making,” on Thursday, Oct. 24, at Parkland High School. A community conversation with Zaila Avant-garde, 18-year old author and sports figure, and Joy Nelson-Thomas, LEAD founder and executive director, was moderated by Kara Peters, WXII weekend anchor..   Avant-garde first gained recognition as the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, the first African American to win in the competition’s 100-year history. She holds two Guinness World Records for her prowess with basketball handling and was the 2021 Sports Illustrated Sports Kid of the Year. Her latest book, “It’s Not Bragging If It’s True: How to Be Awesome at Life,” published in 2023, is a New York Times bestseller and is an empowering collection of true stories from Zaila’s life. She aims to inspire young children to embrace their unique attributes and qualities and to persevere through life’s challenges. Avant-garde emphasized the importance of development of one’s own character, with anecdotes from her experiences, as she conversed on stage with Nelson-Thomas and Peters. While Avant-garde shared the power of confidence and believing in oneself, Nelson-Thomas emphasized the importance of having a supportive...