Sussex Academy Student Wins 2026 Delaware Poetry Out Loud State Title

Natalia Gatti, a sophomore at Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences, was named Delaware’s state champion at the 21st annual Poetry Out Loud State Finals on Feb. 19 at the Smyrna Opera House. (Photo courtesy of Delaware Division of the Arts.)

A Sussex County student has been named Delaware’s top high school poetry reciter for 2026.

Natalia Gatti, a sophomore at Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences, was crowned state champion during the 21st annual Poetry Out Loud State Finals held Feb. 19 at the Smyrna Opera House.

“I believe that poetry is freedom. It is freedom of self, of expression, of love — and I believe that my poetry is my dignity. I believe that without poetry, there is no life,” Gatti said moments before being named champion.

Gatti earned the title after reciting “Militants to Certain Other Women” by Katharine Rolston Fisher, “Let No Charitable Hope” by Elinor Wylie, and “To a Young Dancing Girl” by Elsa Gidlow. Judges selected her from a field of eight finalists representing high schools across the state.

This marked Gatti’s second year participating in Poetry Out Loud at the school level. She is the first student from Sussex Academy to advance to the final round and win the state competition. Outside of poetry, she enjoys reading nonfiction and writing, and hopes to study astrophysics in the future.

“Being named state champion is a dream come true,” said Gatti. “I am incredibly proud to be the first contestant from Sussex Academy to make it into the final round and to win the state competition. But more than the title, the whole experience was surreal. Meeting people who share the same passion for poetry was easily the best part of the whole event.”

Five students advanced to a final round of recitation after two preliminary rounds. This year’s competition also introduced a new exhibition round, allowing students to perform a poem of their choosing outside the official anthology or to share original work.

The audience included Sarah McBride, state legislators and members of the Delaware State Arts Council. Video messages from Matt Meyer and Cindy Marten were also shared during the event.

As state champion, Gatti will receive a $200 award and represent Delaware at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C., April 27–29, where she will compete for $50,000 in scholarships. Sussex Academy will receive a $500 stipend to support poetry programming.

First runner-up honors went to Olivia Stevens of Mount Sophia Academy, and second runner-up was Phy Sullivan of MOT Charter High School. Stevens will receive a $100 award, and Mount Sophia Academy will receive a $200 stipend.

“Poetry Out Loud exists to give young people a platform to find their voice, and Natalia Gatti has done exactly that,” said Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Her recitations at the State Finals reminded everyone in that room why poetry matters, and Natalia’s words about what poetry means to her made that point even more powerfully. We congratulate Natalia, Olivia, Phy, and all of this year’s competitors. Their courage to stand before an audience and breathe life into these poems is exactly what this program is about.”

Poetry Out Loud is presented in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. The program encourages high school students to engage with poetry through memorization and performance and has reached millions of students nationwide since its launch more than two decades ago.

A recording of the state finals is available on the Delaware Division of the Arts website. Registration for the 2027 competition will open in August.