Newtown High School student named one of five teen poets in the National Student Poets Program

 

Ashley Gong, a junior at Newtown High School in Sandy Hook, CT, has been appointed by The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with their partners as one of five teen poets in the 3^nd annual class of the National Student Poets Program (NSPP), the nation’s highest honor for young poets. The 2014 class of the National Student Poets Program (NSPP) began its year of poetry events, workshops and service projects with a reading hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama in the Blue Room of the White House.

Throughout the year, each poet represents a region of the country and leads readings and workshops at libraries, museums and schools, as well as participates in prestigious events. By doing so, they demonstrate the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success to audiences of all ages. Let me tell you more about Ashley Gong, the Northeast Region National Student Poet:

Ashley, age 15, grew up surrounded by language, as her parents, first generation immigrants, would often read Chinese poems to her when she was a toddler. Despite this early exposure to poetry, it wasn’t until more recently that Ashley discovered her passion for poetry, which is currently her go-to medium for creative expression. Her fellow National Student Poets are Weston Clark of Indianapolis, IN; Julia Falkner of Louisville, CO; Madeleine LeCesne of New Orleans, LA; and Cameron Messinides of Greenville, SC.

This class of 2014 National Student Poets was chosen by an esteemed panel of jurors. NSPP is a signature initiative of the President’s Committee in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the administer of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which are the exclusive pathway to being considered for NSPP. 

Photos courtesy of the National Student Poets Program

Photo 1: Ashley Gong

Photo 2 (from left to right): Cameron Messinides, Madeleine LeCesne, Ashley Gong, First Lady Michelle Obama, Julia Falkner and Weston Clark in the Blue Room of the White House, Sept. 18, 2014. (Photo by Paul Morse for the National Student Poets Program)