Philly Gets New Youth Poet Laureate in Soledad Alfaro-Allah

Soledad Alfaro-Allah was named Philly’s second youth poet laureate at a ceremony this afternoon at City Hall.

Alfaro-Allah, a student at  Science Leadership Academy, was chosen out of a crop of three finalists by the Poet Laureate Governing Committee and Frank Sherlock, who was named Philly’s second poet laureate in January. According to a press release from the Mayor’s Office, “the youth poet laureate position was established in 2013 under the [Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy] to complement the City’s Poet Laureate program and to give a young person an opportunity to develop and showcase his or her talents in poetry with the guidance of an experienced poet.”

Alfaro-Allah’s reign will last until May of 2015, a span of time in which she’ll have the opportunity to be mentored by Sherlock, and work to “encourage her peers to hone their interest in poetry.”

Many congrats, Miss Alfaro-Allah.