A Jefferson High School student is Rockford’s first participant to make it to the national finals for the Poetry Out Loud competition. WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose followed up with the teenager to see what’s next for her.
Mikiah Gerrity is just about done with her junior year. She said she didn’t make it to the top eight in the Washington D.C. finals last month.
“I only made, like, the round before,” she said, “and so, yeah, I'd say, I mean, obviously I made it pretty far to make it to national, so.”
She said experiencing the national stage gave her a deeper appreciation for poetry.
“I feel like it may have amplified my love for poetry,” she explained, “like I already really liked it, but seeing that other people are just as passionate, if not more, it made me want to engage in it more."
Gerrity said spending time with her mom and sightseeing in the nation’s capital was also nice.
The state champion said she will try again next year.
