The co-winners of the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee met and shook hands with President Barack Obama at the White House Monday.
Ansun Sujoe of Fort Worth, Texas and Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, New York ended up as co-champions of the bee for the first time in 52 years.
The pair shook hands with the president in the Oval Office Monday and then promptly challenged him to spell the two words that tripped them up.
Hathwar's word was "corpsbruder" and Sujoe was tripped up by "antigropelos."
"The President was actually pretty close," said Sujoe. "The President only had a few minor errors, so I can conclude that the President is a good speller."
Two days after quizzing President Obama, Sujoe went back to school at Bethesda Christian School Wednesday.
None of his sudden spelling celebrity has gone to his head.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"I am just doing the same thing," he said. "Trying to get the homework done. Extracurricular activities, it is kind of like normal."
Sujoe can't compete again in the national spelling bee, but his younger sister can and he says he plans to help her if she wants to try.
In the meantime, Sujoe is looking forward to his next competition, Math Counts.
