ATHENS, Ga., April 29 -- The University of Georgia issued the following news release:
ForKeiko Bridwell, a University of Georgia doctoral candidate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences' department of linguistics, the path to Commencement has been guided by a lifelong fascination with words and the people who use them. That curiosity took root in her early life.
As a middle school student, Bridwell competed in theScripps National Spelling Beefour times, spending those years immersed in the structure and history of words. Studying for the spelling bee - guided by her father who served as her coach - sparked a deeper interest in language that would ultimately shape her academic career.
She went on to earn her bachelor's and master's...