Paola Cruz-Hernandez

 

Nelly Gudino

Kennedy Petersen of Montgomery High School was the top vote getter in the Sonoma County Poetry Out Loud contest held this week.

With the win, Petersen heads to the state competition in Sacramento Marcy 24-25. If she prevails there, Washington, D.C. is next April 28-30.

Petersen recited “Monet Refuses the Operation” by Liesel Mueller and “An Autumn Sunset” by Edith Wharton.

Roseland University Prep senior Nelly Gudino came in second and Paola Cruz Hernandez, a senior at Elsie Allen High, took third. Gudino recited “Ego” by Denise Duhamel and “Bent to the Earth” by Blas Manuel de Luna and Cruz-Hernandez recited “Dirge Without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Petersen and Gudino each won a $50 gift certificate to Copperfields and Cruz-Hernandez earned a $25 certificate.

There were 12 participants in all.

Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation program initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts and sponsored in the state by the California Arts Council and the Arts Council of Sonoma County.