2024 Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate is Miya Peterson of Punahou School; Top 5 finalists include three Seabury students

Hawai‘i’s fourth Youth Poet Laureate designation was presented to Miya Peterson, a high school senior at O‘ahu’s Punahou School, during a live stream event at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Thursday.

This is the fourth time a youth poet laureate title has been granted to a young person in the state. Founded in 2008 by Urban Word, the National Youth Poet Laureate Program identifies and celebrates young poets who exhibit a commitment to artistic excellence, civic engagement, youth leadership and social justice.

The event included performances by five youth poet finalists from throughout the state, including three from Maui’s Seabury Hall—Phoenix Cook, Leela Segaran and Makaela Cooper. The remaining Top 5 finalist was Mika Hiroi of Punahou.

Rounding out the Top 10 were: Autumn Cooney of Seabury Hall; Ruby Kingdon of Seabury Hall; Max Loubser of Haleakalā Waldorf School; Nao Hata of Seabury Hall; and Megan Ing of Punahou.

Honorable Mention awards went to: Safa Ahmed of Punahou; Ash Bu of Punahou; Iliana Dorkin of Seabury Hall; Mia George of Seabury Hall; Chelsea Hedquist of Seabury Hall; Skyly Kwok of Punahou; Vaiva Peroff of Punahou; Ella Schlather of Seabury Hall; Dayton Tanaka of Punahou; Alec Wong of Punahou; Wes Yamaguchi of Punahou; and Miranda Yap of Punahou.

Dr. Moira Pirsch, Education Director at MACC, reflects on the event, saying, “The fourth youth poet laureate ceremony in Hawai‘i represents a pivotal moment in history for the MACC, the state of Hawai‘i, and the wider United States. The poems and narratives shared during this event illuminate the immense diversity and strength of Hawai‘i’s youth – revealing their identities, values, and the priorities that guide us into the future. In these challenging times, their voices also serve as a guiding light of healing, offering solace and inspiration as we navigate collective hardships and strive for a better tomorrow.”

This year, the MACC’s Education Department spent the past several months working with dozens of teachers and over 1,000 students statewide to encourage and prepare them for this opportunity. Finalist participants in this program range in age from 10 to 19.

The development of a Hawai’i Youth Poet Laureate program at the MACC is the first collaboration between an arts organization and Urban Word, an award-winning youth literary arts and youth development organization that initiated the National Youth Poet Laureate Program. The organization collaborates with local youth literary arts organizations across the country to provide uncensored platforms for youth voice. It is championed by the leading national literary organizations, including the Library of Congress, the Academy of American Poets, Poetry Foundation, Cave Canem, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Special guests for the event, offering performances and some mentoring messages to the finalists, were Corina Yi, Hawai‘i’s third Youth Poet Laureate, Brandy Nālani McDougall, Hawai‘i’s State Poet Laureate and Selina Tusitala Marsh, New Zealand’s Adult Poet Laureate. Emcees of the event are Travis Kaululā‘au Thompson, HIYPL Mentor and Kalehua Fung, Hawai‘i’s second Youth Poet Laureate.