California Poets in the Schools, a nonprofit that amplifies young creative voices in California, has named Ella Wen as Sonoma County’s new 2021 youth poet laureate. Ella, 16, a sophomore at Maria Carrillo High School, developed a passion in poetry growing up with her Grandpa reading and writing Chinese poems with him. One of three poems she submitted was “Written in Words” which explores racism, prejudice, and bias.

Written in Words

By Ella Wen

And the more I feel this array of alphabetical assault seeping deep within my skin, aimed at me like antagonistic arrows

telling me to say less

and then to say more

to dress less

and then to dress more

to be less

and then to be more

it’s then I begin to realize that words are powerful

and they hurt

but they can heal too

and I, we

I know words too

I too have a pen

my pen is infinite

the ink seeping within pages

I know how to write, I just didn’t know until now

My body, my mind, my soul is so much more than what you wrote your narrative

so clothed with ignorance and facades of apologies

I, experience, am experiencing all the pain there is

don’t write my story

for me.

Read more in the Press Democrat..

The 2020’s Youth Poet Laureate Zoya Ahmed, a Maria Carrillo High School student, the first in Sonoma County, is first-generation American, with roots in Pakistan and India.

“This colorful heritage is her drive. Every day, Zoya is empowered to work hard towards achieving her goals, humbled by the opportunities she is given, and inspired to give back to the community. Her biggest motivators are her parents and her family, who encourage her each and every day. They are her muse; they symbolize the meaning of sacrifice in her life. Their stories, especially those of the women in Zoya’s family, are what give her writing a spark of creativity and perspective,” noted in the California Poets in the Schools website.

“Poetry gives me confidence and allows me to be more than just a person,” Ahmed said. “It allows me to embrace my individuality and heritage. It gives me a story.” Read more in the Bohemian.

The Sonoma County California Poets in the Schools aims to acknowledge a student who has achieved excellence in poetry between the ages of 13 and 19 and must be a Sonoma County resident. They should also have demonstrated their commitment to literacy arts and community engagement through participation in volunteer and community services, clubs, after school activities, and extra academic activities