A 14-year-old Kailua student has earned the right to be Hawai'i's representative in a national vocabulary competition.

Shelby Isham, a student at St. Anthony School, will represent the state in the National Word Power Challenge sponsored by Reader's Digest.

Isham, who spends an average of 14 hours reading every week, will join other state champions competing for $50,000 in scholarships at the finals in Orlando, Fla., April 25.

In contrast to spelling bees, the National Word Power Challenge tests students' understanding of what words mean.