Junior Jayda Dawn has made University High School history.
Earlier this month, Jayda was named the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion, becoming the first student in University High School history to win a national championship. The title came with a $20,000 award for Jayda and an additional $500 for University High School to purchase poetry materials. Hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Out Loud, the competition brings together top student performers from across the country to recite and interpret poetry at the highest level. More than 4.5 million students have participated in the program since its launch in 2005.
Remarkably, this was Jayda’s first year competing.
But while the national title may have surprised the rest of the country, those at University know the many dimensions of Jayda’s talent and presence. She is involved in student government, serves as vice president of the Black Student Union, is a peer tutor and National Honor Society member, competes in varsity track and cheer, and is a leader in the performing arts community. She has also been writing her own poetry since she was 11 years old.
For Jayda, the experience in Washington, D.C., was about more than competition. “We got to meet everybody, and it was really a big relief off my shoulders,” she said. “During the meet and greet, I almost forgot that we were at a competition because everybody was so nice.”
As the competition progressed, Jayda said she began to understand that successful poetry recitation requires much more than memorization. “With poetry, you have to bring a sort of charisma to it because you have to keep the audience engaged,” she explained. “You have to bring a little bit of yourself to it.” She also described the unique challenge of performing poetry compared to theater. “With acting, the character is already there, written for you,” Jayda said. “With Poetry Out Loud, you have to create your own storyline.”
Jayda credits much of her confidence and preparation to her experience at University High School, particularly the opportunities she has had to perform, speak publicly, and grow as an artist. “I definitely gained a lot of confidence from University’s theater program,” she said. “The second you step on stage, you’re in character. I had that in the back of my mind the whole time.” She also reflected on the way University encouraged her to approach poetry as storytelling rather than simple recitation. “Most of what we worked on was building a character and building that storytelling aspect, so I wasn’t just up there reciting a poem,” she said. “I was performing it and engaging with the audience.”
In the end, Jayda’s ability to balance theatricality with emotional authenticity helped her stand out among competitors from across the country. During her interview, she reflected on how deeply she connected with one of her pieces, Langston Hughes’ “The Weary Blues.” “I totally forgot how I did as soon as I finished because I got so into the poem,” she said. “That was definitely my favorite one to recite.”
Jayda’s accomplishment represents a milestone moment for University High School, but it also reflects something larger: the power of finding your voice. Through classrooms, performances, mentorship, and opportunities to take intellectual and artistic risks, students at University are encouraged not only to study great works, but to live them.
And now, thanks to Jayda Dawn, University High School has its first national champion. Congratulations to Jayda on an incredible run!
(Photo credit: James Kegley)