Butgereit, Thompson earn state titles in Poetry Out Loud

Mary Butgereit, at left, and Khadijah Thompson, at right, proudly hold plaques as state winners in Poetry Out Loud. Sheila Hadden is their sponsor at Bob Jones High School. (PHOTO/JULIAN)

MADISON – Mary Butgereit and Khadijah L. Thompson are quite versed in poetry.

The two young women ousted their competitors to win their respective categories in the state finals for Poetry Out Loud. The meet was held at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery on Feb. 17.

Butgereit and Thompson are seniors at Bob Jones High School. Their wins mark the first time that students from the same school claim the championship in both events.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation founded Poetry Out Loud. The competition “encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation,” sponsor Sheila F. Hadden said. “It also helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.”

Hadden teaches English 12, handles ACT test preparation and also sponsors the Chess Club at Bob Jones.

Thompson took top honors to become Alabama’s new champion in “State Recitation.” She will compete with 49 other state champions, a champion from Washington D.C. and one each from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. She and a chaperone will travel to Washington, all expenses paid, for the national event.

Khadijah’s parents are Patrick and Tesha Thompson.

Butgereit earned first place in the State Original Poetry Recitation Contest. “This contest is Alabama’s unique take on the competition, allowing students to write and recite their own poetry,” Hadden said.

Mary’s parents are Drew and Leigh Butgereit.

“Both of these young women are very deserving of these awards. They are both very talented and have worked very hard to get where they are,” Hadden said.

After graduating from Bob Jones, Thompson plans to attend Johnson & Wales University: College of Culinary Arts in Charlotte, N.C. She wants to work as a pastry chef and open her own bakery.

Butgereit will attend Auburn University and major in English with plans to enter the teaching profession.

For more information, visit poetryoutloud.org.