Balu Natarajan
Balu Natarajan grew up in Chicago as the son of Tamil immigrants. In 1985, at the age of thirteen, he won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, making him the first person of Indian origin to achieve this feat. He later established a career as a sports medicine physician in Chicago. Throughout his life, he has remained actively involved in his local Indian American community.
Nupur Lala
Nupur Lala was raised in Tampa, Florida, by Telugu immigrant parents. In 1999, she won the Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word “logorrhea”. Her victory gained widespread attention because filmmaker Jeff Blitz documented her experience for the 2002 Oscar-nominated film Spellbound. The documentary introduced millions of Americans to the pressures and dynamics of a first-generation Indian American family. After her spelling bee success, Lala pursued a career in science.