Sonora Student Ranks High
Sacramento, CA — 40,000 students took part in the California Arts Council’s Poetry Out Loud competition this year, and a Sonora High Senior placed third overall.
The state finals were held Sunday and Monday in Sacramento. Round one took place at the Sacramento Sheraton and rounds two and three were on the State Senate floor. Jonathan Bermea of Sonora High School took third place overall. First prize went to Corbin Gomez, a senior at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado County, and second place was Mohommad Shehata, a senior at Clovis West High School in Fresno County. Students advanced to the state competition by winning an event held at the county level. To read an earlier story about the Tuolumne County contest, click here.
Dana Gioia, a former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, was on hand both days and spoke to the students about the importance of creativity and ingenuity. Gioia initiated “Poetry Out Load” during his chairmanship of the NEA. The state level competition is produced by the California Arts Council.
