Zaila Avant Garde’s Legacy Is Only Just Beginning

A remarkable young woman, Zaila Avant-garde, has inscribed her name in the annals of history, while her future shines brightly.The adage "hard work pays off" resonates deeply with Avant-garde. At just 18, she has earned multiple accolades, including being a national spelling bee champion and a bestselling author with several literary works, in addition to holding two Guinness World Records.Making history at 14, she was the first African American victor of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Knowing the history of African Americans in spelling bees motivated me to strive for that win,” Avant-garde remarked.With the assistance of tutors, she diligently studied 13,000 words daily for the competition, now proudly displayed in the Hall of Champions. After an earlier setback in 2019, where she placed 439th, she channeled her determination into publishing five books, including her empowering debut, "It’s Not Bragging if it’s True."Currently, she’s embarking on her first semester at the University of Maryland on a full scholarship, focusing on cell biology and genetics, aiming to become a biomedical researcher. She dreams of working for NASA’s human research program, exploring human settlements on Mars.Inspired by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier's Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR research, Avant-garde’s passion for science burgeoned, particularly...