Society of Saint Pius X Student
in National Spelling Bee Finale
Connor Spencer
Age 14, eighth grade
School: St. Vincent de
Paul Academy
Hometown: Platte City, Missouri
Connor, who
greatly enjoys Irish music, plays the Irish tin whistle competitively. He loves
reading, and says he is entertained by "anything from Calvin and Hobbes to
Shakespeare." His favorite books and movies are The Lord Of The Rings trilogy,
and he wants to learn to speak Elven, the language J.R.R. Tolkein invented. One
of his more interesting hobbies is parakeet breeding. Connor usually studied on
his own while preparing for the national finals, but says his parents helped out
by lessening his chores to give him more free time. He declares his role model
is 2000 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion George Thampy, because "he is a
great speller, great person, very smart, and above all, devoted to God." His
parents are Meg Spencer, a homemaker, and Joe Spencer, who works in sales.