MARYKATE WRIGHT, an Owosso High School senior, recently competed in the 2017 State Competition for the “Michigan Poetry Out Loud” contest and won as the state’s champion. Wright took her top honors from among 39 other student competitors, reciting the poem, “When You Are Old,” by William Butler Yeats in her final round. MaryKate shared, “Poetry recitation will help me (or anyone) with many different aspects of life, such as public speaking, reading, and I know that it is even used as a form of speech therapy.”
“The Michigan Humanities Council was proud to see the students and their wonderful talent,” said Executive Director of the competition, Shelly Kasprzycki, “Young people are the hope for the future of Humanities and we look forward to watching MaryKate represent Michigan at the National Competition in April. We are so proud of each one of the students that have taken part in Poetry Out Loud this year.” Poetry Out Loud, a national high school recitation competition, encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, while also mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence, and learning about literary heritage.
The competition in Washington will be held at George Washington University and Wright will be accompanied by her English teacher Melanie Lounds. “MaryKate is a reader and learner; she took A.P. Language as a 10th-grader, English 12 Honors as an 11th-grader, and is active in theater,” said Lounds, “I think her interpretation skills come from all of these studies. I am happy to have been a part of her education and her
personal journey.”
As the state champion, Wright will receive a $200 cash award, $500 stipend for her school and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to represent Michigan at the National Poetry Out Loud competition in April. The national champion will receive a $20,000 college scholarship. (Courtesy Photo)
