Pictured (from left to right): Carlee Livingston from Summerland Public School (Ewing), Elizabeth Buescher of Marian High School (Omaha), and William Mortensen from Wahoo High School (Wahoo).
Elizabeth Buescher, a junior at Marian High School in Omaha, was named the 2024 Poetry Out Loud Nebraska State Champion. Elizabeth was one of six students from high schools across the state who competed for the title on Saturday, March 9, at the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln. William Mortensen from Wahoo High School was named first runner-up, and Carlee Livingston from Summerland Public School in Ewing was named second runner-up. The event featured special guest presenter, Maria Corpuz, and Emcee, Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason.
Elizabeth will receive $200 and an all-expense paid trip with an adult chaperone to compete for the national championship in Washington D.C. April 30 to May 2. Her school will also receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. William will receive $100 and a $200 stipend for his school library. The top three students each received original hand-blown glass trophies courtesy of Nebraskans for the Arts. Poetry Out Loud, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at the national competition, including a $20,000 scholarship for the national winner.
Find more info: www.poetryoutloud.org