Kavya Shivashankar was the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion. Her word was "Laodicean," which, according to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, means lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics. The Kansas girl was 13 when she won.

Pete Souza/Official White House Photo/Newscom
Kavya Shivashankar (l.), the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner, and her family meet President Obama in the Oval Office on June 3, 2010.