Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor

On a campus overrun with Wordle, New York Times Connections, and other word-based games, one student is going back to the basics and relishing in the tile-based classic, Scrabble. Sophomore Cherish Amby-Okolo is a ranked player by the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) and has accumulated accolades from various competitions. However, for Amby-Okolo, the intellectual sport is more than just a competition; it’s a chance to explore a passion, overcome adversity, and build community. 

Early on in her childhood, Amby-Okolo began to appreciate Scrabble for its poised nature and scholarly dimension.

“Growing up, I lived in Nigeria, and the Scrabble scene is very large over there,” Amby-Okolo said. “I had the opportunity to observe Scrabble and was fascinated by how they were thinking.” 

When Amby-Okolo finally got her hands on tiles, she went straight into action by learning strategy and technique. All the practice could only mean one thing: the competitions were calling her name. 

“I was able to play my first tournament at a school and had a small rating. I was seven years old, so I was really young and not that good, but it was a nice way to get my feet in,” Amby-Okolo said. 

In the many years since her first competition, she has become an experienced player, travelling around the world to Dubai, France, and Australia to face off against other word connoisseurs. 

While the competition has instilled a spirit of determination in Amby-Okolo, she still values the importance of teaching others to love the game and wants to see them succeed as well. According to her, the best-kept strategy secrets are only most useful when others are invited to learn from them. 

“My initial strategy is just to get a huge head start,” Amby-Okolo said. “So, if I have bad letters at the very beginning, my first instinct is to get rid of as many of them as possible and play the long words because each bingo over seven-letter words gets an additional 50 points.”

But beyond having the smartest moves or most recognition, for Amby-Okolo, Scrabble is an opportunity to build connections with her peers and mentors. Some of those connections even gave her a few friendly faces to recognize on campus as a new student last year. 

“There’s a [lecturer] here, his name is Brian Garnett, and he also plays competitively. I knew him as a competitive Scrabble player before I knew him as a professor,” Amby-Okolo said. “It was nice coming in and knowing someone.”

Fostering connection with like-minded peers has also shown Amby-Okolo what it means to stick to a passion despite adversity. She has learned to navigate an environment where her underrepresentation can be used as a vehicle for change. 

“Scrabble was and is still a super adult male-heavy dominated sport. I am a girl in a sea full of men,” Amby-Okolo said. “Having interviews like this brings more outreach to the sport and gets more people inspired to play.”

Regardless of whether you’re looking for a community or to leave a lasting legacy, Amby-Okala believes that having a deep commitment to an activity is the best way to develop a sense of purpose, as she has done with Scrabble.

“To everyone, even if it is not Scrabble, whatever you do, try to find some meaning in it. Try to find some joy in it because it can really permeate,” Amby-Okolo said.  

While St. Louis might not be the optimal destination for aspiring Scrabble players, Amby-Okolo has compiled a list of resources for those looking to play in the community. 

“St. Louis unfortunately isn’t the biggest Scrabble scene; however, if you go to a website called Cross-Tables, they have maps of Scrabble events in your city,” she said. 

As Amby-Okolo continues to make her mark on the Scrabble community, she is also creating an environment for others who love words to come together and bridge barriers. The impact of Scrabble extends far beyond the borders of the game. Amby-Okolo encourages anyone who might be looking for a new pastime, mental exercise, game to bring to a hangout, or sense of belonging to look to Scrabble as the perfect place to start. 

“It’s a communal bonding game. No matter if you’re playing online or in person, you’re kind of bonding with somebody else.”