A Shout Out to Sequoia Jelks - Lisa Brown's Daughter

Congratulations to Sequoia J. Jelks, a senior at Broad Ripple High School, who won the March 8 Indiana Poetry Out Loud recitation contest.  Sponsored by the Indiana Arts Commission, the competition featured students representing high schools from around Indiana.  Sequoia won a $200.00 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete at the National Finals April 27-29, 2008.  Broad Ripple High School will receive a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books.  Last year's Indiana's Poetry Out Loud Champion Branden Wellington of Broad Ripple High school, place second overall in the National Finals.  The National Poetry Out Loud competition began in 2006.  The program, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), is designed to encourage youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which helps students master public speaking skills, build self-esteem, and internalize an appreciation for American literary heritage.