Before last December, Winooski High School junior Mapenzi Selemani had never performed onstage. But as part of an American literature class, she was required to memorize and deliver two poems in front of her peers as part of the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition. On the day of the event, she considered skipping school because she was so nervous. But a friend encouraged Selemani to go for it, and she ended up taking first place. That led the 18-year-old soccer player and track athlete to the Vermont Poetry Out Loud semifinals at the Barre Opera House on March 6, then the finals at Burlington’s Flynn Space later that month, where she was crowned state champion.
In May, Selemani traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete against fellow state champs in the Poetry Out Loud national competition, held at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. The trip marked the first time she’d been on an airplane since she immigrated to Vermont from Zambia in 2020.
At the national competition, students were split into three regions. After performing two poems — “I look at the world” by Langston Hughes and “I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood— Selemani was named a finalist in her region, which allowed her to perform a third poem — “The World Is Too Much With Us” by William Wordsworth. Selemani ended up taking honorable mention, or fourth, in her region, which earned a $1,000 cash prize and $500 for her school to purchase poetry books.
On the trip to Washington, D.C., Selemani was accompanied by her best friend, Bora Kashindi; her younger sister Ketila Selemani, a Winooski High School sophomore; her teacher Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver; and the school district’s director of communications, Miriam Greenfield. In between poetry events, the group visited the National Museum of African American History & Culture, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Howard University, and the offices of U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).
The day after Selemani returned from her three-day trip to the nation’s capital, she sat down with Kids VT to reflect on the experience.
How did the national competition compare to the state competition?
There was a big difference. At the state level, I was just like, Oh, I’m going to compete and I’ll have fun. But when I got to D.C., everyone was focusing on the big prize. They wanted to be finalists. But I went in with this mindset of, Whatever happens, happens. The good thing is I made it here.
How did it feel being named a finalist in your region?
I was shocked. I wasn’t really expecting it because these people were, like, really good. I did not really have the confidence to be one of them. When I heard my name, I was like, Oh, it’s me!
What was it like meeting Sen. Welch and Rep. Balint?
They’re so nice. I was actually scared. I was like, What am I going to say to these people? But when I got there, the conversation just flew. It was just like I was having a conversation with my two besties.
Did you make connections with your fellow competitors?
I had so much fun with the other state champions. One night, we did a poetry slam. People started performing their poems. I didn’t have any intention to perform a poem, but my sister had a poem that she wrote, and she was scared to perform it, and she was like, “Can you do it for me?” I was like, “Let me give it a shot.” Everyone seemed to like it.
When we were doing the poetry slam, there was this one girl named Pendo [representing Maine] who told me she was from Mozambique. I told her I was born in Zambia originally. When it was time for the poetry slam, she was like, “You guys wouldn’t understand this. I wrote it in my language mixed with English.” And when she started reciting her poem, I could understand everything she was saying. It was Nyanja — not really Nyanja but basically the same words in her own language. I could understand everything!
Have you gotten over your fear of public speaking?
I think I’ve changed. The more I went onstage, I feel like I got comfortable. When I’m present, just standing next to the mic, I feel like I’m just being myself, and I don’t think about being scared. I forget everything, and I’m just there to do my thing.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
The original print version of this article was headlined “A National Stage | Winooski student Mapenzi Selemani represented Vermont in the Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C.”
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This article appears in Kids VT, Summer 2025.
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