11 students advance to Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud finals

Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Eleven student finalists from public, private, parochial, vo-tech, and charter schools will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC, from May 5-7, 2025, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public, and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

“Congratulations to the eleven talented and creative high school students who have been selected as finalists in the 2025 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work, and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The 11 Poetry Out Loud finalists are:

Cale Cooper, Delaware Valley Classical School

Trinity Gbolo, MOT High School

Becca Hurwitz, Concord High School

Brooke Kennedy, Saint Mark’s High School

Carmen Mestre-Tlacuatl, Delcastle Technical High School

Cathy Mosely, Paul M. Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

Elias Olvera, Cape Henlopen High School

Anawo (Nife) Olunifemi, Sussex Central High School

Kalor Pewee, First State Military Academy

Chase Reynolds, Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences

Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy

About Poetry Out Loud

The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud^®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to $50,000 in prizes and stipends awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the National Champion—Poetry Out Loud provides free poetry education resources nationally, including lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers and organizers, tips on reciting, and an online anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.

Delaware high schools and organizations are encouraged to contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state coordinator Dr. Traci Currie ([email protected]) to get involved in 2026’s competition.