Morgantown student to represent West Virginia in Poetry Out Loud National Finals

PRESS RELEASE

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Morgantown High School student Gülse Polat will represent West Virginia in the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. from April 27-29. Polat won the state competition hosted by the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts on Saturday, March 7, at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. Kailyn Williams of Richwood High School was named the state runner-up.

“Congratulations to Gülse, Kailyn and all thirty-three students who competed in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition last week,” said West Virginia Tourism Deputy Secretary Ennis Smith. “It was inspiring to watch the students represent West Virginia so well. I’m eager for our state to be represented on the big stage in Washington, D.C.”

Thirty-three students competed in the semifinals on Friday, March 6, with the top 10 advancing to Saturday’s state final. 

Thanks to the state’s partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Gülse Polat will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the national finals. Morgantown High School will receive $500 to purchase poetry books and materials. 

As the runner-up, Kailyn Williams will receive $100, and her school will receive $200 to purchase poetry materials. Both students received trophies created by West Virginia artist Matt Thomas of Gilmer County.

About Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud is a poetry recitation contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The program is designed to encourage high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. 

To access photos of the competition at the Culture Center, click here. 

For more information about Poetry Out Loud and the state final competition, contact Jim Wolfe, Arts in Education Coordinator, at james.d.wolfe@wv.gov.