Interview with Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Steffi McNerney
During the week of April 27-29, 2011, 53 high school students came together at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington D. C. to compete for scholarships in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals. Each state sends a representative to compete, first with other students from their region of the U. S. and then with the top three representatives from each of three regions. We are so proud of Arizona’s Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Steffi McNerney, and her performance at the National Finals. We congratulate her on all of her accomplishments with the program, and wish her all the best as she ventures across the U. S. next year to begin her studies at Cornell University.
Each of the nine competitors in the Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Finals were interviewed by Eight, Arizona PBS. See Steffi’s interview, here:
The Arizona Daily Star talks about Steffi representing Arizona at the National Finals, in this article from late April. More about the Poetry Out Loud National Finals can be found here, in a press release from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Continue reading to learn more about Steffi and her experience with Poetry Out Loud, in the brief interview posted below.
Q. How did you get involved in Arizona Poetry Out Loud?
A. My school, St. Gregory, requires all English classes to participate in Poetry Out Loud sophomore through senior year, so I got involved with the competition my sophomore year and absolutely fell in love with the whole idea of it. I am so passionate about poetry, and I was so excited to be able to spend an entire month on poetry focusing on the poems I chose, analyzing them and making them mine.
Q. What were the highlights of your Poetry Out Loud experience in your school, at the regional competition and at the state finals?
A. No matter the stage in the competition, I have found that the best, most memorable highlights of Poetry Out Loud are the memories you make with your fellow competitors. There are so many amazing people participating in Poetry Out Loud, and it’s always so neat to be around people who, even if they are so completely different, still share the same passion for poetry. It makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger when I see how universal poetry is.
Q. What were the highlights of your experience at the National Poetry Out Loud competition?
A. Again, I loved just being around people who are so in love with poetry and who unite together through that passion. After the final competition was over, a huge group of us went outside and had an impromptu slam poetry event which was just amazing. You learn new things about people from their own poetry, and listening to everyone sharing a part of themselves through their poems was inspiring.
Q. How do you imagine poetry will be a part of your life going forward? What did you learn from the experience?
A. Poetry is something I will always return to in my life. Every poem has a different message and a different way of looking at life, and I know that no matter what, I will always find comfort in poetry. The competition itself definitely helped me to become more comfortable with public speaking and more comfortable with opening up and risking vulnerability in order to give something to someone who needs it–whether it is a poem’s message, friendship, or something else entirely.
Q. What advice or thoughts would you offer to other students who are interested in becoming involved in Poetry Out Loud?
A. I would definitely encourage students to become involved with Poetry Out Loud. It is an amazing experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life, and along the way you meet so many incredible people and learn so many new things. As for the competition itself, I would advise students to really consider their poems and choose poems that they are passionate about. The poems you choose for the competition are going to stay with you, and it’s no fun if you are reciting poems that you aren’t passionate about!
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. This summer, I am going to relax and spend as much time with my friends and family before I head off across the country to Ithaca, New York where I am lucky enough to be able to attend Cornell University. I want to become a veterinarian, so I am incredibly excited about all the opportunities Cornell will be able to give me in terms of hands on experience with animals. I can’t wait!
