Albemarle High senior to represent Virginia in Poetry Out Loud competition

Katharina Ravichandran, a senior at Albemarle High School, will represent Virginia in the national Poetry Out Loud competition, hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Once again, this year’s competition will be held virtually, at arts.gov.

Ravichandran is working with renowned Virginia-based poet Regie Cabico to prepare for the event.

Ravichandran advanced after becoming the 2022 Poetry Out Loud Virginia state champion in a recorded event that took place March 11 at VPM, Virginia’s home for Public Media.

There, Ravichandran competed along with 11 other students from across the Commonwealth.

Student competitors included:

• Damilola Awofisayo, Thomas Jefferson High School, Alexandria
• Evalynn Bogusz, Heritage High School
• Alyssa Malcolm, Deep Run High School. Richmond
• Bailey Moncure, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, Petersburg
• Katherine Nguyen, Colonial Forge High School, Stafford
• Ryan Poquis, Mills E. Godwin High School, Henrico
• Kashvi Ramani, Rock Ridge High School, Ashburn
• Isaiah Riddle, Grace Christian School, Staunton
• Samantha Rinker, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke
• Trinity Smith, Open High School, Richmond
• Killian Winn, St. Christopher’s School, Richmond

Ravichandran received a $200 cash award and Albemarle High School received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books.

Riddle, a senior at Grace Christian School (Staunton) was the first runner-up, and received a $100 cash award and a $200 stipend for his school library. Moncure, a junior at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (Petersburg), the second runner-up, received a literary gift.

Distinguished judges included: Angela Dribben, poet, contributing editor, writer and western regional representative for the Poetry Society of Virginia; Jorge Mendez, an author, musician and spoken word artist based in Hampton Roads; Kim B. Miller, a motivational speaker and poet as well as the current Poet Laureate of Prince William County; and Richard Follett, a middle school theatre teacher who resides in the Shenandoah Valley.

To learn how you can participate in Virginia’s Poetry Out Loud program visit, www.arts.virginia.gov/programs_POL.html.