Trent Lott: “Today I rise to salute Stephen Matthew Nalley from Starkville, MS, for his outstanding achievement in this year's…”

“Today I rise to salute Stephen Matthew Nalley from Starkville, MS, for his outstanding achievement in this year's national spelling bee. Stephen finished in second place after spelling words such as 'altricial,' 'muliebral' and 'sericeous.' He endured ten rounds, defeating 248 other spellers between the ages of 9 through 15. Steven was born with a particular type of autism that impairs social interaction and contributes to repetitive behavior patterns. Fortunately, he has been able to work with his disability and use it to his advantage. Quoting his mother, Barbara Nalley, 'He's mildly autistic, but he's channeled that into his spelling.' Steven's accomplishment serves as a reminder to us all that we can accomplish astonishing things when we are willing to put in great time and effort for them. I find this attribute of his remarkably inspiring. Not only am I highly impressed with Steven's workmanship as an outstanding speller, but he also is a straight A student and a member of his school's honor society.”