State poetry reading contest winner, Lauren Haiar, will represent Wyoming at the national Poetry Out Loud competition next month.
Haiar is a senior at Sundance Secondary School and this is the third consecutive year she has won the state competition.
Students in the competition are asked to read three poems of their choice. One must have been published before the 20th century and one must have fewer than 25 lines.
Haiar said competitors can also submit their original poetry as a performance or in writing at the national competition.
"I'm planning on writing something. I think having the judges see the way that you've formatted things and the different punctuation you've used is a really important part of poetry. I like to showcase that in the writing itself, rather than just hearing it read," said Haiar.
Last year, she won 1st place at the national competition for her original poem.
Nine students competed at the event in Cheyenne. Haiar said she thinks schools in Wyoming should get more students involved.
"I would encourage other schools to let this be available for students. When the opportunity is given to students, I think students and teachers would be surprised at who actually shows up and who takes an interest," Haiar said.
Haiar will be attending the University of Wyoming next year. Although she loves poetry, she plans on pursuing health sciences so she can become a medical laboratory technician.