Niles West Students Wins Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition

Niles West sophomore Gina Kotsovetsky won the regional Poetry Out Loud competition on February 22 at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago. She will be competing at the state-wide competition in Springfield, IL on March 10. Kotsovetsky recited “Undivided Attention” by Taylor Mali and “Personal” by Tony Hoagland to win first place. This is the first time a Niles West student has claimed the first place slot at Regionals.

Poetry Out Loud encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 schools in every state, Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.