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Who carries one young poet’s heart? His mom

Poetry Out Loud winner Isavel Mendoza. (Courtesy of James Kegley)
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Poetry Out Loud winner Isavel Mendoza. (Courtesy of James Kegley)

Young people are learning life skills like public speaking and memorization through a national poetry competition.

Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd speaks with this year’s Poetry Out Loud winner, Isavel Mendoza, a high school senior from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, about what he loves about performing and his hope for the future.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom