Senior MajieAhna Winfrey, State Poetry Out Loud Winner, Qualifies for Nationals

L-R: Event emcee Maria Corpus '13, MajieAhna Winfrey and Marsha Kalkowski, Marian journalism and English teacher.

Senior MajieAhna Winfrey became the 2026 Nebraska Poetry Out Loud Champion at the state competition at Midland University. In late April, she will represent Nebraska in the National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Out Loud program in Washington, D.C.

This year’s competition honored the nation’s 250th birthdayand contestants selected works from a curated collection of iconic American poets. MajieAhna’s winning repertoire showcased a powerful range of voices, featuring:

• "My Song" by Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr.
• "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
• "Militants to Certain Other Women" by Katharine Roston Fisher

For her first-place finish, MajieAhna was awarded a glass sculpture, a $200 personal prize, and $500 to support her school’s poetry programming. She’ll travel to Washington, D.C., from April 27–29, where she will compete for a share of $50,000 in prize money.

Congratulations to MajieAhna as she prepares to represent Nebraska and Marian at the national finals.