The Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency announced that Gracie Manibusan, a freshman at Notre Dame High School, has emerged as the winner of the fourth annual Guam Poetry Out Loud Contest.

Held on March 15 at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña, this event was hosted in conjunction with the Governor's Office, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud is a national initiative that encourages students to engage deeply with poetry through memorization, performance, and a dynamic recitation competition.

This is the 20th anniversary of the Poetry Out Loud program.

Rounding out top honors were Nikolette Salas, from Tiyan High School, in second place, and Teuila Keresoma from Guahan Academy Charter School, finishing third. Other participants included Madison Lujan from Southern High School and Alicia Bacani from Okkodo High School.

Manibusan will advance to represent Guam at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C., this May.

There she will compete against other state and jurisdiction champions for national recognition. Guest judges presided over the competition and evaluated student performances on criteria including physical presence, voice and articulation, and accuracy.