The San Antonio, Texas native received a trophy and a $50,000 check.
Harini competed against Vikram Raju, 12, in the Spell-Off, a format in which contestants were tested on how many words they could spell correctly in 90 seconds.
Harini got 21 words out of 26 right, while Vikram got 15 words out of 19 right.
“I honestly think so surreal, it’s my fourth time at the Bee,” said Harini on stage, holding the trophy. “This is such a dream, this is my fourth bee and I’m just so overwhelmed.”
Speaking of the very first ban, Harini said, “At first I was a little uneasy and decided to take it… I just had to take a deep breath and tell myself to go out there and do my best and what happens, happens.”
The Spelling Bee, which has elementary and middle school students spelling words that would trip most adults up, has had a tumultuous few years.
Because of Covid-19, the 2020 competition was canceled – a significant upheaval for what is said to be the largest and longest-running educational program in the country. (The National Spelling Bee was introduced in 1925.) The Bee returned last year, but with some changes. The event consisted of three rounds that were completed virtually, rather than in person, with 209 participants – up from 562 in 2019. The finals then took place in person at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida rather than at National Harbor in Maryland where the event was held in has normally taken place in recent years. Although numbers were still below pre-pandemic numbers, this year started with 234 participants, an increase from last year. Of those who started only 12 took part in the last competition on Thursday. Another big change this year was the television broadcast of the bee. Despite nearly three decades on ESPN, the competition aired on ION and Bounce. ESPN has been home to the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 1994, longer than any of the current contestants have been alive.
The preliminary rounds started on Tuesday, the quarterfinals and semifinals took place on Wednesday.
This year’s host was LeVar Burton. The Emmy and Grammy Award winner hosted the semifinals and finals of the event.
In a statement in December, Burton called the position “an honor.”
“Like many others, I look forward to the competition each year and am delighted to be part of this wonderful tradition that celebrates excellence,” he said.