2013 National Student Poets

First Lady Michelle Obama with the 2013 National Student Poets (from left: Michaela Coplen; Sojourner Ahebee, Nathan Cummings, Louis Lafair, and Aline Dolinh) in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Sept. 20, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson.)

It has been a few months since I last posted.  It is my senior year and there are lots of demands, but I am back.  I wanted to share some great news.  I was selected this year as one of the five National Student Poets.  The other gifted poets include Michaela Coplen, Nathan Cummings, Aline Dolinh and Louis Lafair.  We were received by First Lady Michelle Obama, with our families, in the White House in late September.  Mrs. Obama is the honorary chair of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which is one of the sponsoring organizations of the National Student Poets Program.  To learn more about the program, its other sponsors, and the application process for becoming a National Student Poet, click here:  http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/national-student-poets-program/

                                                                                          

       The National Student Poets Appointment Ceremony in Washington, D.C. . Sept. 2013

The jurors this year were poets  Richard Blanco http://richard-blanco.com/ , Robert Casper( poet and  Head of Poetry and Literature Center, Library of Congress) http://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/author/roca/, Andrea Gibson  http://www.andreagibson.org/,  Kimiko Hahn  http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/1536 , Joy Harjo http://www.joyharjo.com/Home.html , Terrance Hayes  http://terrancehayes.com/ , David Lynn (Editor, Kenyon Review https://www.kenyonreview.org/  , Alice Quinn(  Former Poetry Editor at the New Yorker and currently  Executive Director of the Poetry Society of America  http://www.poetrysociety.org/psa/about/staff/ ) and Rose Styron  (http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/02/23/rose-styron-poet-and-nocturnal-reader/E9WAj8dlBdMg6bF29jjyfI/story.html).  

 

The 2013 National Student Poets  at the Library of Congress

I plan, throughout the course of my year of service, as a National Student Poet to not only share with you the incredible opportunities I have had so far and will have, but to also share opportunities for young writers.