Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego is embraced by her brother Sujan Nandipati, after winning the National Spelling Bee on Thursday night.

AP report: Snigdha Nandipati is the National Spelling Bee champion. The 14-year-old from San Diego spelled guetapens, a French-derived word that means ambush, snare or trap. Calm and collected throughout, she beat out eight other finalists in the nerve-wracking, brain-busting competition.

 Nandipati is an avid reader and coin collector who aspires to become a psychiatrist or neurosurgeon. She plays violin and is fluent in Telugu. She's the 5th consecutive Indian-American winner and 10th in the last 14 years. Read the full story.

Slideshow: National Spelling Bee

Alex Brandon / AP

Smart young people from across the nation compete to become the next National Spelling Bee champion.

Launch slideshow

Follow @msnbc_pictures

•Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter