Casey Epstein-Gross, a senior at Solebury School, has been named the 2021 Bucks County High School Poet of the Year. The announcement was recently made by Bucks County Community College officials.
Epstein-Gross rose to the top of more than 150 entries in the 34th annual contest, part of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program administered by the college. For her first-place finish, Epstein-Gross won $300 and was honored with a poetry reading. Since the college campus is closed amid COVID-19 restrictions, she read from her works in a special virtual reading and celebration on May 16 on YouTube.
The judges were Jane Edna Mohler, the 2020 Bucks County Poet Laureate, and Mary Jo LoBello Jerome, the 2019 Bucks County Poet Laureate. They named the following students runners-up:
– First runner-up: Annika Crawford, George School, 11
– Second runner-up: Madeline Yates, Central Bucks High School West, 11
– Third runner-up: Rhianna Searle, George School, 10
All three read from their works during the virtual celebration.
Other local finalists included:
– Jayleen Chaves, Bucks County Technical High School, 9
– Kate Connolly, Council Rock High School South, 12
– Kara Girard, Bensalem Township High School, 10
– Alyssa Heron, Bristol High School, 11
– Ciara Meenan, Council Rock High School South, 12
– Marissa Newbauer, Council Rock High School, 12
– Raisah Peshkepia, Council Rock High School South, 12
– Kaitlyn Pine, Council Rock High School, 12
Visit bucks.edu/poets for more information.
