Two Charleston high school students selected as state Poetry Out Loud finalists

Two Charleston high school students selected as state Poetry Out Loud finalists

CHARLESTON, SC – Two high school students from Charleston have been selected as finalists in the South Carolina Poetry Out Loud competition. Jessie Leitzel, a senior at Charleston County School of the Arts, and Gemma Williams, a junior at Ashley Hall, are among the six Poetry Out Loud finalists in South Carolina, according to a press release.

State Finalists

Jessie Leitzel and Gemma Williams will join four other finalists at the South Carolina Poetry Out Loud competition. The other finalists include Abhirami Balachandran from Calvary Christian School, Eve Decker from Spartanburg Day School, Erin Maguire from Socastee High School, and Catherine Wooten from Westgate Christian School.

Competition Details

The South Carolina Poetry Out Loud competition is set to take place on March 9 at Richland Library Main Branch in Columbia. The event will start at 3 p.m. The state finals champion will receive a $200 prize and will go on to represent South Carolina in the national finals competition held in Washington, D.C. in May.

National Competition

The national competition winner will be awarded a $20,000 prize. The Poetry Out Loud competition aims to nurture the next generation of literary readers by emphasizing recitation and performance skills.

Both Leitzel and Williams have shown exceptional talent and dedication in the field of poetry, earning their places as finalists in the prestigious state competition. Their participation is a testament to their hard work and passion for literature.