(INDIANAPOLIS) Sreepadaarchana Munjuluri, a junior at Columbus North High School, has been named the 2023 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. Munjuluri, the Indiana State Champion, represented the Hoosier State at the National Finals in Washington D.C. She competed in a field of 54 state and jurisdictional champions over two days on May 9 and May 10, reciting poems by Emily Jungmin Yoon, Emma Lazarus, and Garrett Hongo. 

This is Munjuluri’s second year participating in Poetry Out Loud. Munjuluri loves exploring literature, not just in English but also in her native language Telugu, and Sanskrit. In her free time, she plays the violin and practices the Bharatanatyam dance. In the future, she hopes to be a global health advocate and believes that communication through various mediums (such as poetry) is the key to solving the world’s problems and is the most beautiful aspect of the human experience.

The Indiana Arts Commission serves as the coordinator for Indiana’s Poetry Out Loud competition. The Indiana State Finals were held at the Indiana Government Center Auditorium on March 4, 2023, where Munjuluri was named State Champion amid a field of 14 State Finalists. Over 1,000 students participated across Indiana in 2023. 

Munjuluri participated in Poetry Out Loud as part of the Indiana Humanities statewide outreach program and was coached by Indiana poet Adam Henze, Ph.D.

“Indiana Humanities is delighted to congratulate Sreepadaarchana on her accomplishment. She was diligent in her work and selected poems that spoke to her. We’re grateful to Dr. Adam Henze for his guidance in preparing her for this competition,” said Megan Telligman, director of programs at Indiana Humanities.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies. In 2023, more than 158,000 students participated nationwide.  

As the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, Munjuluri will receive $20,000 and Indiana Humanities will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials.

“The Indiana Arts Commission is immensely proud of Sreepadaarchana and the hard work and dedication that has led to this moment for her,” said Stephanie Haines, Poetry Out Loud coordinator with the Indiana Arts Commission. “Indiana has a rich history of poetry at all ages, and Sreepadaarchana’s success demonstrates the power of creativity in classrooms. Indiana could not ask for a better student to represent our state.”