Arianna Morris

Redmond High senior Arianna Morris will be among 11 finalists of Oregon’s 2025 Poetry Out Loud state finals.

The state contest on March 8 will feature a presentation by Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston of Bend. It is set for 1-4 p.m. at Salem’s Historic Grand.

Oregon’s state champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, scheduled for May 5-7 in Washington, D.C.

Morris, 17, is a junior. She is described as a performer and entertainer who loves to make people laugh. She is involved in the Redmond choir and theatre programs. Last year, she was also a finalist in the state contest.

“The student performances are inspiring and heartfelt every year. It’s exciting to see which poems they choose and the judges did a wonderful job of selecting the group of finalists who will be moving on to the state competition,” said Tiff Harker, Poetry Out Loud coordinator in a release.

Poetry Out Loud is a recitation contest for high school students, organized in Oregon by the Oregon Arts Commission in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Participants memorize and present poems, practice public performance skills an explore the complexity of poetry.