Alexandra Huynh, 18, is the new National Youth Poet Laureate

NEW YORK (AP) — An incoming first-year student at Stanford University has been named the new National Youth Poet Laureate. Alexandra Huynh, 18, is a second-generation Vietnamese American from Sacramento, California, who sees poetry both as a means to self-expression and social justice.

She was selected from among four regional finalists for a position first held by Amanda Gorman, who read at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Huynh will serve for one year, working with arts organizations around the country.

“We are so very proud of Alexandra. Her words, poise, and brilliance speak to the heart of what our nation needs to hear right now,” Michael Cirelli, founder of the youth laureate program, said Thursday. “Each of our finalists represents their best of poetry in their regions and the national community of young leaders in the literary arts. They will each continue to inspire audiences and readers of all ages with their words and art. We congratulate Alexandra and each finalist for their hard work and achievements.”

Established in 2017, the national youth poet laureate program is an initiative of the literary arts and development organization Urban Word.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.