Rockland Senior Makes it to State Finals of Poetry Out Loud

Jasmin Morse, Veritas Web Editor

3-7-17

Genesis Rojas, senior at RHS, participated in Poetry Out Loud on Sunday, March 5, 2017. She was selected to go on to the State Finals in Boston on March 12.

Senior Genesis Rojas will be moving on from her win at RHS’s annual Poetry Out Loud competition, to the State Finals level.

On Sunday, March 5 in So. Yarmouth Rojas competed against 21 other high school students in the Southeastern Regional Semi-final round of the Massachusetts 12th annual Poetry Out Loud competition.

She performed the poems “Introduction to the Songs of Innocence” by William Blake and “Windigo” by Louise Erdrich. Out of 21 contestants Rojas was chosen along with seven others to move on to the state finals.

Poetry Out Loud is an annual competition at the national level that was established in 2005. Rockland has competed all 12 years in the Southeastern Regionals, the only school to do this, and has brought six students to State Finals. RHS even was home for the 2007 and 2008 State Champion, Gabrielle Guarracino (RHS Class of 2008).

The State Finals will take place next Sunday, March 12 at the Old South Meeting House in Boston.

Head of the RHS English Department as well as Rojas’s coach, Carol Cahill stated,  “I am very happy Genesis is moving on to the finals; I am not surprised. She has a natural gift for performing and should do very well next weekend in Boston.”

Genesis Rojas and Ms. Cahill after the Southeastern Regional round of Poetry Out Loud. Genesis will compete in the State Finals on March 12 in Boston.

Genesis and her proud parents, Ruby Valdiviezo & Romel Rojas, after Genesis was selected to go on to the State Finals of Poetry Out Loud.

Advertisement