Minnesota Student Isabella Callery Wins 2019 Poetry Out Loud National Finals

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last night, May 1, 2019, Isabella Callery, a senior at Arcadia Charter School in Minnesota, won the title of 2019 Poetry Out Loud National Champion and a $20,000 prize. 

The second-place winner was Scottlynn Ernestine Ballard, a junior at Edwardsville High School in Illinois, who received a $10,000 prize.

The third-place winner was Alejandro J. Campo, a junior at Flowery Branch High School in Georgia, who received a $5,000 prize.

Callery has competed in Poetry Out Loud since her freshman year of high school. While she has made it to the state finals every year, this was her first trip to the national finals. "This has made me realize there's a poem for everyone," said Callery. She attributed her success to the deep connection she felt to her poems, two of which are by indigenous poets. She explained, "Being able to find a huge variety of Native-American poets and having someone who represents you makes a difference. [You are] able to connect to your poems on a really deep level."

Read more about the 2019 Poetry Out Loud National Finals at the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works blog.

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation with the state arts agencies that encourages high school students to engage with great poetry through a dynamic recitation competition. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals included students from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Students and schools received $50,000 in awards and school stipends at the National Finals. In addition to the prizes listed above, the fourth- to ninth-place finalists each received $1,000. The schools of the top nine finalists received $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for Poetry Out Loud.

The state champions competing at the National Finals also had the opportunity to showcase their creativity through an optional competition, Poetry Ourselves. The students could submit an original work of poetry in one of two categories: either a written poem or a video of a spoken poem, both of which were judged by poet Kyle Dargan and announced at last night’s national finals. Connecticut State Champion Evan Reynolds placed first in the written category with his original poem “Ode to Rhubarb,” and Wisconsin State Champion Daeja Loew placed first in the spoken category with her original poem “A Circle of Motherhood.” The runners up were Hawaii State Champion Maggie Odom with her poem “kiss through osmosis” (written) and North Carolina State Champion Lillian Hawkins with her poem “Sisters” (spoken). Winning poems are available on the Arts Endowment’s website at the links above.

Since 2005, more than 3.8 million students from across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. This year, more than 275,000 students from 2,300 schools across the country participated. High school teachers who want to learn how to get involved in next year's program can learn more at www.poetryoutloud.org. 

Photos and videos of the nine finalists who competed in the May 1 finals are available here.

About Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs. For more information, visit poetryfoundation.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.

About Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation develops partnerships and programs that reinforce artists’ capacity to create and present work and advance access to and participation in the arts. The Foundation was created in 1979 and is a private non-profit organization that is closely allied with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. It combines funding from state and federal resources with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to address needs in the arts from a regional, national, and international perspective. For more information, please visit www.midatlanticarts.org.

Media Contacts
Liz O’Connell-Thompson, Media Associate, [email protected], 312.799.8065
Sarah Whitcher, Marketing and Media Director, [email protected], 312.799.8016