An OM student writes her name in history

What do Amanda Gorman, Jellystone Robinson, Kara Jackson, Meera Dasgupta, Alexandra Huynh, Alyssa Gaines, Salome Agbaroji, and Stephanie Pacheco all have in common? All eight women have served as National Youth Poet Laureates. 

This year, Howard County introduces our first-ever Youth Poet Laureate, Mai-Anh Nguyen, an OM student! Before we discuss Mai-Anh’s amazing accomplishments, you are probably wondering, what is a Youth Poet Laureate? A Youth Poet Laureate is an ambassador for literacy, arts, and youth expression in communities during their one-year tenure. While the active Youth Poet Laureate of HoCo, Mai-Anh will show her passion for poetry and its power to unite us as a community. 

Mai-Anh, a junior here at OM, has enjoyed writing since elementary school, saying, “Writing has always been a hobby of mine, as it lent me an outlet to express my quietest thoughts.” Mai-Anh has previously won the Jack Chalker Young Writers Contest and was a finalist for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest and the Bennington Young Writers Awards. Being named the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of Howard County is another addition to her already astounding list of accomplishments. When talking about how she came to be in this position, Mai-Anh revealed she did not actually think she would get the job, saying, “The possibility of actually getting the position seemed somewhat distant, but now that we’re here, I am looking forward to all the people I’ll meet and places I’ll go.” Applying for the position of Youth Poet Laureate required her to submit a portfolio and letter of recommendation, which was only the first step in the long process. Mai-Anh’s work went through several levels of consideration before finally reaching the desk of county executive, Calvin Ball, who made the ultimate final decision. The Review Panel noted, “Her language showcases poetry’s unique strengths to capture an audience and connect people, which will be instrumental in developing and defining the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate position.”

For those who will be and are considering applying for the position next year, Mai-Anh advises,  “My number one recommendation would be to craft your own style. Be masterful or be unique, or even better, both.” Being a Youth Poet Laureate requires creative thinking, skill, and the ability to convey your voice through writing. There are so many forms of poetry, so many new styles to create and explore, and there are no rules on what is wrong or right. Poetry remains a way for writers to express themselves and their words freely through the power of meaning.

This year, Mai-Anh looks forward to forging new connections with students and other writers alike. She says her hope for this year is, “Whether it be through teaching workshops or having public readings, I hope I will be able to inspire someone to read or write more.” 

Mai-Anh shows the excellence our school can bring, proving to doubters that Scorps are more than capable of doing amazing things. If you would like to see some of Mai-Anh’s poetry, head over to The Scroll’s website (www.omscroll.com) to check out some of her work. Maybe she’ll inspire you to pick up a pencil and write poetry!