The Class of 2022 National Student Poets: Jesse Begay (Southwest Region) Winslow Hastie, Jr. (Southeast Region); Emily Igwike (Midwest Region); Vidhatrie Keetha (Northeast Region); Diane Sun (West Region)

Reminiscing with the Class of 2022 National Student Poets about Their Appointment Events in Washington, D.C.

by The Alliance //

On September 27, the Class of 2022 of the National Student Poets Program was appointed in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony at Planet Word Museum, led by Crosby Kemper (Institute of Museum and Library Services, Director) and Chris Wisniewski (Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Executive Director), with special guest Naomi Shihab Nye (poet) addressing the group. The Class of 2022 are:

  • Jesse Begay (Southwest Region; they/them) from New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, NM 
  • Winslow Hastie, Jr. (Southeast Region; he/him) from Charleston County School of the Arts in North Charleston, SC  
  • Emily Igwike (Midwest Region; she/her) from the University School of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WI  
  • Vidhatrie Keetha (Northeast Region; she/her) from Horace Mann School in Bronx, NY  
  • Diane Sun (West Region; she/her) from Interlake High School in Bellevue, WA 

In celebration and commemoration of NSPP’s tenth anniversary, more than half the NSPP alumni gathered in D.C. for a facilitated discussion to create a narrative reflecting on NSPP’s past and looking forward to the next ten Program years. At Planet Word, they offered words of advice in a collaborative element of the Appointment Ceremony.  

The Class of 2022 and all 27 alumni in attendance were then invited to the White House by the First Lady, where a reading by the Class of 2022 was hosted by FLOTUS and the new U.S. Poet Laureate, Ada Limón.

Jesse Begay, Southwest Region

It was amazing to visit DC for this event and contextualize all of the opportunities that are out there. Meeting Ada Limón was a dream come true for me, as I highly admire her work! It was a wonderful experience that I am honored to have. 

Winslow Hastie, Jr., Southeast Region

During the several jam-packed yet exciting days, I met the FLOTUS, spoke at the White House, and met the U.S. Poet Laureate—which was confirmation for myself and other young poets that poetry has importance, and the nation yearns for art from youth, especially in these times of turmoil.  

Emily Igwike, Midwest Region

During my trip to D.C., I was initially blown away by the alumni I had the honor of meeting. One of the poets from the previous class greeted my mother and me during dinner, connecting with us based on our common heritage (we are both Igbo Nigerians). Secondly, I was more than honored to have met Dr. Biden during the pinning ceremony and ecstatic to read my poem in front of her and Ada Limón, someone I deeply admire. Being able to work with such talented poets and spoken word artists, such as Charity Blackwell, was an amazing opportunity for me to expand my craft and learn from others.   

Vidhatrie Keetha, Northeast Region

Our trip to D.C. was an incredibly surreal experience — I’d never dreamed that I would ever perform at the White House, let alone for Dr. Biden and Ada Limón, and I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to do so. I’m also very grateful for all the people I was fortunate enough to meet; all of the program alumni were kind and approachable, and I learned a lot from all of the workshops we participated in and the poets we met. Overall, this experience has shown me how important and meaningful poetry can be to different people, and throughout the trip, I felt like I was part of a truly supportive community. 

Diane Sun, West Region

It was an amazing experience being in the White House, and more importantly, being able to bring my family with me. Witnessing the transformative effect and emotional significance poetry has for so many people was also incredibly touching. 

Featured image: Shannon Finney Photography