I am so honored and grateful to represent the West Region as a finalist in the National Youth Poet Laureate competition. Thank you @urbanwordnyc for this opportunity, and @says4life for providing me with the my first platform to tell my story. Thank you @cocoqueendom for welcoming me at my first slam two years ago, and pushing me to become a better poet ever since. Thank you @lovepatricehill for your invaluable guidance during my YPL year, and to @signed.cloudy for being not only an amazing co-laureate, but friend. Thank you also to @therealdefeye for your constant positivity and to all the folks at the Sac Poetry Center who continue to encourage me to keep growing. A very special thank you to @its_gabyyyyy, @lady.poetic, @lotusofsociety, @ja_de25, @sincerely_serenity, and Kayla for being the best team members I could have ever asked for. To my family (especially @brianna.huynh), friends, and community who have supported and inspired me to write fearlessly—thank you. Please excuse the lengthy caption. My heart is so full. I can’t wait to work alongside these talented young poets in the coming year. 🥺💜