1st Youth Poet Laureate Mai-Anh Nguyen Officially Appointed To New Post In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Leaders have officially appointed Howard County’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate, Mai-Anh Nguyen, at Busboys and Poets in Columbia.

Nguyen is a student at Oakland Mills High School, active in the Youth Climate Institute, National Art Honors Society, National Spanish Honor Society, tennis and theater. Nguyen won the Jack Chalker Young Writer’s Contest and was a finalist for both the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest and Bennington Young Writers Awards. She received unanimous support from the review panel to become the first Youth Poet Laureate.

"Through this position, I look forward to (hopefully) making poetry cool again. Not just poetry, but literature and reading in general, because the empathy and imagination that we gain from peeking into others’ brains is invaluable. I am so grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity and that I’m able to stand before you all today, and in this coming year I will be working towards that vision," Nguyen said.

The county’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate program was launched in 2023 in partnership with the Howard County Arts Council and the Howard County Poetry & Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo). The program aims to amplify the power of youth expression, celebrate community and promote literary arts in Howard County.

“The Arts Council is thrilled with the announcement of Mai-Anh Nguyen as Howard County’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate,” said Coleen West, executive director of the Howard County Arts Council. “This program is a celebration of youth voices and a wonderful opportunity for our youth to step into the role of arts ambassador. I look forward to supporting Mai-Anh as she inspires our community and helps shape the future of the Youth Poet Laureate program.”

The Youth Poet Laureate will act as an ambassador for literacy, arts and youth expression in Howard County. The Youth Poet Laureate will demonstrate a passion for poetry and its power to connect communities through local public readings and participation in civic events. In this role, the Youth Poet Laureate also will coordinate readings and literary events with the Howard County Public School System and Howard Community College.