Finding her voice

For Organ Mountain High School senior Evaleen Vasquez, performing poetry is about more than memorizing lines. It’s about making the audience feel something. 

“I just hope they can feel the emotion that I have — the pain, the anger, the joy, the sorrow,” Vasquez said. “I hope they can feel it with me.” 

Vasquez represented Las Cruces at the 2026 New Mexico Poetry Out Loud state finals March 8 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. 

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The program encourages high school students to study, memorize, and perform classic and contemporary poetry in competitions that progress from school and regional contests to the state and national levels.  

At the state finals, Vasquez performed three poems: An Apology by Julia Ward Howe, Edgar Allan Poe by Timothy Thomas Fortune, and Mist by Lilo Rodriguez Zetina, translated from Spanish. 

She said she selected the poems to show a range of emotions during her performance. 

“I didn’t want to be a one-trick pony,” Vasquez said. “I wanted to show that I have other emotional parts of me.” 

Vasquez first became involved with Poetry Out Loud after her teacher, Tim Staley, encouraged students in his class to explore the program.  

“I looked at the website and found my first poem, and I liked it,” she said. “I decided to throw my hat in and see if I could do it.” 

To prepare for the state competition, Vasquez practiced during school and in her free time. She performed in the classrooms around Organ Mountain High School and rehearsed with Staley during lunch and open periods.  

Outside of school, she practiced whenever she found quiet moments during the day. 

“I try to make sure I understand the emotion behind what I’m reading,” she said. 

Although it was her first year participating in Poetry Out Loud, Vasquez said she was already comfortable performing in front of audiences. She participates in band and performs as a soloist, experience she said helped her manage nerves before stepping on stage.  

Her teacher, Staley, said Vasquez brings strong energy and personality to her performances. 

“Evaleen has a tremendous amount of energy and excitement around her poetry performances,” Staley said. “She brings a unique interpretation and vibe to each of her three selected poems.”  

 Roma Subedi, a Las Cruces sophomore who competed for Arrowhead Park Early College High School, also advanced to the statewide competition.  

Vasquez said competing at the state level was still a rewarding experience, even though she did not win the competition. 

“It went well. I didn’t win, but it was still an amazing experience, and I am glad I got the opportunity to do it,” she said.  

For Vasquez, the opportunity carried a special meaning during her final year of high school. 

“It definitely felt different because this was the first time I had heard of this competition,” she said. “It was the only chance I was going to get to perform it.” 

Still, Vasquez said her goal remained simple: To connect with the audience through the poems she executed. 

“I just want people to feel the emotion,” she said.