Maya Prasad, a 16-year-old junior at Good Hope Country Day School, has been named the 2025 U.S. Virgin Islands Poetry Out Loud territory champion. Among more than 157,000 students who participated nationwide this year, Prasad now advances to the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, May 6.
“I was really surprised and excited when they called my name,” said Prasad. “Everyone performed so well. I really wanted it — I was walking around and rehearsing my poems over and over.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition that combines the power of performance and the beauty of classic and contemporary poetry. Students select three poems from a curated list of more than 1,000, with the requirement that one must be pre-20th century, and one must be 25 lines or fewer.
For her final performance, Prasad selected “Gitanjali 35” by Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned Indian poet and Nobel Prize winner in Literature. The poem is part of his celebrated collection “Gitanjali.”
“One of the poems I selected is very hopeful,” Prasad explained. “It’s like a balance of performing and acting, but also being very genuine. You have to believe what you’re saying, like you’re talking to someone, and you want them to really understand you.”
Her acting background helped her bring each piece to life with a unique voice and character. “My first poem, as my mom likes to say, is like we’re going to church — very powerful and hopeful, but fun. The second is about childhood, so it’s light and full of nature. The third is about social injustice and rights – I’m invoking a powerful persona with that one.”
Prasad credits much of her preparation and performance skills to her family. “Everyone in my family acts, so they all contributed in some way. But my main official coach is my sister Clara, who’s an actress and studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.”
“With my coach, we discussed what kind of vibe we wanted to give off with each poem,” she said. “It’s like telling three different stories.”
Though the competition was hosted at her school, Prasad didn’t take the home-court advantage for granted. “I really wanted to place in the top five,” she said. “Every time I advanced, it felt amazing.”
In preparation for the upcoming semifinals, she’s rehearsing regularly. “Before I go to bed, I rehearse it and try to have fun with it. I also practice in front of my coach and my mom, which is actually more nerve-wracking than performing in front of a large audience — because I can look around,” she laughed.
Prasad will recite the same three poems in the national semifinals. Her advice to other performers: “Do it to enjoy it. When you really connect with the poem, the audience will feel it too. Just try to have fun.”
Outside of Poetry Out Loud, Prasad has choreographed several school plays and is involved in the performing arts community at Good Hope Country Day. She previously participated in the Poetry Out Loud competition as a freshman, placing third.
As she prepares for her trip to Washington, D.C., she’s excited to meet fellow finalists from across the country. “I’m also currently putting together my outfits — gotta think about the weather!” she said.
About Poetry Out Loud
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, a national program that encourages the study and performance of poetry. Since its inception in 2005, the competition has reached more than 4.5 million students. Fifty-five state and territory champions will compete at the national semifinals on May 6 at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. Nine finalists will move on to the final round on May 7, hosted by Mac Barnett, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Both the semifinals and finals will be livestreamed at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud. Visit PoetryOutLoud.org for a list of the 2025 champions and more information about the program.
