The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) last week announced that Malisha Taylor, a sophomore at Pascagoula High School, is the 2024 Mississippi Poetry Out Loud® (POL) champion. 

Tommy Nichol, a junior at Oxford High School, is the first runner-up and Sanika Janorkar, a freshman at Rosa Scott High School, is the second runner-up.

As the first runner-up, Nichol will receive $100, with $200 for Oxford High School.

Presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. 

Eight high school students from high schools and organizations across the state participated in the Poetry Out Loud state finals, which took place at Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson March 7.

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) will air a recording of the competition on MPB Television at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28.