FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Raleigh, NC – January 9, 2025 – United Arts of Wake County, in partnership with the Raleigh Fine Arts Society, is excited to announce the finalists for the second annual High School Spoken Word Contest. This competition celebrates the power of poetry and spoken word, inviting high school students from Wake, Orange, and Durham Counties to showcase their creativity and share their unique voices.

A panel of professional poets have selected 12 finalists. These finalists will be honored at a celebratory reception on January 28, 2025, hosted at the North Carolina Museum of Art. During the event, the top three winners will be announced and awarded cash prizes:

• First Place: $1,000
• Second Place: $500
• Third Place: $300

Congratulations to the 2024 Finalists:

• Zoz Alexander – Enloe High School
• Mikah Matthew Bennett – Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy
• Alex Cox – Rolesville High School
• Bailee Cosby – Green Hope High School
• Shia Raine Edwards – Enloe High School
• Talia Favatella – North Wake College and Career Academy
• Josephine Geolas – Wakefield High School
• Sophia George – Leesville Road High School
• Nicholas Johnson – Wakefield High School
• Kelsey Rutter – Wakefield High School
• Milagros Lopez Sceena – Carrboro High School
• Kenna Zhang – Cary Academy

In addition to competing for the top prizes, all finalists will receive a $100 gift card and the opportunity to have their poems professionally recorded.

Please join us as we celebrate the creativity and brilliance of these young artists at the upcoming winners’ reception on January 28, 2025, at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

About United Arts Wake County: United Arts aims to build a better Wake County through the support of and advocacy for the arts. Through grants, educational programs, and community initiatives, United Arts helps artists, arts organizations, and communities flourish.

For more information about the contest or to support arts programming in schools, visit unitedarts.org or contact John Craven at [email protected].

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Featured Image: Dasan Ahanu at Enloe High School sharing the art of spoken word