'She worked for this': Louisiana town throws Spelling Bee champ a parade fit for Mardi Gras
The party stretched all the way from New Orleans to Avant-Garde's hometown of Harvey
HARVEY, La. -- Leave it to small-town Louisiana to know how to throw a party for one of their own.
The community of Harvey, Louisiana threw a well-deserved parade for 14-year-old Zaila Avant-Garde, in celebration of her historic win at the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
RELATED: Zaila Avant-garde, 1st African American spelling bee champ, breezes to win
The party stretched all the way from New Orleans to Avant-Garde's hometown of Harvey on Sunday.
"It felt kind of surreal," said Avant-Garde. "I wouldn't think so many people would be so excited".
The 14-year-old spelling whiz made headlines earlier this month, becoming the first-ever African-American to win the spelling bee.
"I watched her work for this," exclaimed her proud mother during the parade. "I watched her do those 13,000 words a day, listening to her music in her own world, and when it came through, she worked for this y'all".
Avant-Garde has also set a few basketball-related world records. She has grand aspirations, including going to Harvard and working for NASA, or playing in the WNBA.
