The arts are an often underrepresented community in schools. However, programs such as youth poet laureates help give recognition to students with exceptional talent in the arts.
High school poet laureates are a small community, with the National Youth Poet Laureate program having only begun in 2008. The position is held by a student who excels in poetry.
Rockbridge County High School established a poet laureate program in 2022 when a community member introduced the idea. The goal was to provide a place for students to express their artistic expression and help promote the arts while doing so.
While the program is fairly new, it is growing strong with a recent increase in interest. RCHS just selected its fourth poet laureate, Alya Hogan, who was a unanimous choice. Previous winners include Gianna McKeeman, Ainsley Carter and Lilyan Thomas.
“The founder of the program intends to give students a voice through poetry,” said Lisa van Ravenswaay, RCHS administrative assistant.
The poet laureate’s main responsibility is to promote the art of poetry to the school community. One of the main ways they do this is by writing and sharing poems they have written. They can do this by writing poems and articles to be published in the school newspaper. The poems can be about anything that sparks their creativity.
Alya uses her talent for writing as an escape. “Writing also helped me express my frustrations with real-world problems through stories and poetry,” Alya said.
At RCHS, poet laureates may also choose to sponsor a poetry showcase to get the entire school involved. All grades are invited and can read their own pieces or pieces from famous poets. The program not only allows students to show their passion for poetry, but also helps instill a passion for it in others.
“The Poet Laureate program allows our students to show off their talent and gives them a platform for their artistic expression,” said van Ravenswaay. “Winning this honor may propel a student into a career field they never considered.”
Alya had been searching for a creative writing contest to submit pieces to before hearing about the poet laureate program. She wanted a place where she could showcase her abilities, which is exactly what the poet laureate program is for.
“I saw the program as a way to spread my passion and help build my future career as an author,” Alya said.
To be in the running, students submit their own works to a committee, which includes teachers and the current poet laureate. Submissions can be a collection of poems or just a few. After submissions are received, identification is removed before being sent.
The program is introduced to students early in their junior year. Winners are then named later their junior year and run through their senior year. Aside from being named poet laureate, the winner also receives a monetary gift during the end of the year RCHS Academics Awards Program.
Many students have not heard of the program before their junior year. Alya hopes to use her position to bring more attention to the program and inspire others to join.
“I plan to utilize this opportunity to spread my passion for writing. Perhaps others will be inspired by my writing or feel seen,” Alya said.
Alya hopes to use her experience as poet laureate to get into a college program for English or creative writing.
