Joeltica Rogers, an 11th-grade student at Charlotte Amalie High School on St. Thomas, has advanced to the national finals of the Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C.
Rogers will be one of nine finalists competing for the national championship and a $20,000 grand prize. The competition is organized nationally by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and is hosted locally by the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts.
Rogers began preparing for the competition after winning her schoolwide contest in November. Her training routine has focused on consistent daily rehearsal. “Every lunchtime, I would go to my coach, Mrs. Wendy Bougouneau-Andrews, and recite each of my poems in order, over and over again,” said Rogers. In recent weeks, she has balanced Poetry Out Loud rehearsals with track-and-field and moot-court practices. To maintain consistency, she now uses audio recordings of her own performances at home for practice.
The Virgin Islands Council on the Arts oversees the territorial competition, which determines the student representative to nationals. According to Shahnaaz Al-Ameen, administrative specialist at VICA, once a student wins the territorial title, the organization shifts its focus to preparing the competitor for the national stage. “We focus on preparing them not just to compete, but to truly represent the Virgin Islands with confidence. Poetry Out Loud is no longer seen as something distant or purely academic. It’s become something alive and personal,” said Al-Ameen.
Al-Ameen emphasizes that Poetry Out Loud is not limited to students who already enjoy poetry. She described the program as accessible to students, building confidence, developing public speaking skills, or learning self-expression. “You don’t have to write poetry to be part of it. You just have to be willing to use your voice,” said Al-Ameen.
The council aims to reframe the program as focused on life skills, presence, and personal growth. She also noted that local businesses and community members can support the program by sponsoring school competitions, providing student prizes, or promoting events publicly.
When asked what it means to represent the Virgin Islands at nationals, Joeltica described the role as significant. “To represent not just my school, but the whole territory of the United States Virgin Islands is such an honor. I’ll go up on that stage and do my best because I represent something that is bigger than me. I will make myself, my coach, my school, my family, and the territory proud,” said Rogers. She also noted that programs like Poetry Out Loud provide an outlet for students who may not participate in sports, choir, or band.
