Zaila Avant-garde

Avant-garde, 14, America’s brand-new, home-schooled spelling bee champ, has got the esteemed giving her all the social-media flowers.

Zaila Avant-garde, 14, became the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and only the second Black champion.

But even among the more well-rounded spellers who will compete Thursday in the ESPN-televised national finals, Zaila Avant-garde stands out.