A Sacramento County student was recognized on April 17 for her achievement in a statewide poetry competition, highlighting the importance of arts education and creative expression among youth.
Beza Getahun, who was named the Sacramento County champion of the Poetry Out Loud program, earned statewide recognition by winning the creative writing component known as Poetry Ourselves. She presented her work at the April 13 meeting of the Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Commission.
“This program gives young people an opportunity to engage with language and storytelling in a creative way,” said Melissa Cirone, grants and programs manager with the City’s Office of Arts and Culture, who introduced Getahun at the meeting. “Beza’s recognition at the state level reflects both her talent and the importance of supporting arts education in our community.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and administered in California through the California Arts Council. The City of Sacramento acts as both state and local partner for Sacramento County, receiving annual funding from the California Arts Council to support this effort. The City provides these funds to the Sacramento County Office of Education, which manages local coordination and student participation.
The competition begins within classrooms before advancing through school-wide and county events. County champions proceed to compete at statewide contests that are typically held at or near California’s State Capitol. After securing first place locally, Getahun competed against other top students from across California to win first place in Poetry Ourselves—a segment dedicated exclusively to original work written by county champions.
Getahun’s accomplishment underscores ongoing efforts to promote creativity among students through public support for arts programming.
