Kathleen Becker, a senior from Red Lion Christian Academy, won Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state competition on February 25, 2014, held at the Smyrna Opera House. Becker’s recitations of “Sestina: Like,” by A. E. Stallings, “Channel Firing,” by Thomas Hardy, and “every single day,” by John Straley earned her high marks with the judges. The first runner-up was Idalis Stamas from Polytech High School, and the second runner-up was Kellina Moore from Appoquinimink High School.

For her winning presentation, Kathleen will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, with a chaperone to compete for the national championship April 29-30, 2014. Red Lion Christian Academy will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Idalis Stamas, the first runner-up will receive $100, and $200 goes to Polytech High School for the purchase of poetry books.

Walmart provided $25 gift cards for all sixteen student finalists. At the National Finals, The Poetry Foundation will be awarding up to $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with a $20,000 college scholarship awarded to the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

The state Poetry Out Loud competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.

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