Exeter High School junior Laura Messner will represent New Hampshire in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Project, April 29-May 2, in Washington, D.C. Messner earned the spot by winning the statewide competition on March 18, where she recited “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou, “Playing Dead” by Andrew Hudgins and “Nude Descending a Staircase” by X.J. Kennedy. The poems were selected from an anthology created for the competition by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, and the competition was hosted by the N.H. State Council on the Arts.

As part of her prize, Messner will receive $200 and a gift of $500 will go to the Exeter High School library for the purchase of poetry books. She will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, where she will compete against state champions from the 49 states and the District of Columbia for the national title and opportunities to win almost $50,000 in scholarships.

According to a press release, New Hampshire’s Poetry Out Loud competition now includes 14 high schools with over 4,000 students participating in 196 classrooms around the state. Bow High School student Teal Van Dyck finished second in the national competition in 2006, earning a $10,000 scholarship.