THE 2018 NEVADA POETRY OUT LOUD STATE CHAMPION: Gabrielle (Grey) Hunt

The 2018 Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Champion Gabrielle (Grey) Hunt, a senior at Yerington High School,  will head to the nation’s capital to represent Nevada at the national finals competition for the second year in a row.  Hunt took first place at the state competition held on March 3, winning a $500 cash prize and $500 for Yerington High School. Mikayla De Guzman, a junior at Elko High School won second place with a $300 cash award and $200 for her school. Sandra Luevano, a senior at East Career and Technical Academy (Las Vegas) took third place, receiving a $100 cash award. All three students also were awarded a hand blown glass globe created by Las Vegas artists Domsky Glass.

Hunt will be in Washington D.C. for the national finals competitions on April 24 and 25 competing against students from all over the country for $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes. The national competitions will be broadcast live at https://www.arts.gov.

Distinguished members of Nevada’s literary community participated in this year’s state finals. Reno’s Poet Laureate Gailmarie Pahmeier served as the master of ceremonies. Poet Laureate of Reno, Lindsay Wilson and Clark County Poet Laureate, Vogue Robinson, served as guest judges along with Joe Atack, education director for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Mary Holsclaw, STEM consultant for the Nevada Department of Education, and Michael Ursell, development manager for the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute. Nancy Manfedi, retired literary arts educator, was the accuracy judge.