OROVILLE – The Butte County Office of Education (BCOE) proudly hosted the 2025 Butte County Poetry Out Loud competition on Friday, bringing together talented young voices from across the region for an afternoon of performance and poetry. Two student representatives from each participating high school took the stage, showcasing their poise, interpretation, and passion for the written word.

Six schools participated in this year’s event: Chico High, Pleasant Valley High School, Las Plumas High School, Oroville High School, Paradise High School, and Core Butte Charter School. Each student recited two poems, demonstrating both their technical skill and their emotional connection to the pieces they selected.

A panel of community judges – Forrest Hartman, Forest Wong, Sara Thompson, Natalie Rabb, and Kimberlee Wheeler – evaluated the performances. Judges assessed students across several criteria, including physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation of the poem, evidence of understanding, and accuracy.

“Poetry Out Loud highlights the creativity, courage, and intellectual curiosity of our students,” said Mary Ellen Garrahy, Butte County Student Events Manager. “Every participant brought something unique to the stage, and we are incredibly proud of their hard work and artistic dedication. We also appreciate the support of their teacher coaches in preparing them for this competition.”

Poetry Out Loud Awards

The competition concluded with standout performances from students across the region. First place was awarded to Moriah Henderson, a sophomore at Core Butte Charter School, coached by Christine Henderson. Moriah recited “I Shall Forget You Presently My Dear, Sonnet IV” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “When We Two Parted” by George Gordon Byron.

She shared that her selected poems resonated deeply with her personal experiences.

“I had an experience as of late which brought upon me a variety of emotions, and in working through them, I quickly turned to poetry,” Henderson said. “These two poems have helped me to understand myself better through this experience.”

As the county champion, Moriah will advance to the California Poetry Out Loud State Finals in Sacramento on March 8–9, where she will represent Butte County.

Second place went to Hazel Ruzic, a senior at Paradise High School, coached by Jori Krulder.

Third place resulted in a tie between Maizy Miller, a junior at Las Plumas High School coached by Kailey Newkirk, and Carsten Balint, a junior at Core Butte Charter School coached by Christine Henderson.

The Butte County Office of Education extends congratulations to all competitors and gratitude to the coaches, judges, families, and educators who continue to support arts and literacy programs throughout the county.

About Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition designed to improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and teach them about literary history and contemporary life. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud® provides free lesson plans and other educational materials to teachers and organizers, including an online anthology of 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. 

The program starts at the local level with a school or participating organization. Winners then advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the national finals. Awards and placements are determined solely by judges’ scores based on the Poetry Out Loud Evaluation Criteria. Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools across the U.S. have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

BCOE Student Events Manager Mary Ellen Garrahy contributed to this story.