A student wins a state competition after enrolling in poetry group to overcome fear of public speaking

Tabarjah Neal
Season 13, Episode 2

2021 Poetry Out Loud Champion

Tabarjah Neal is the 2021 Champion of the Oregon Poetry Out Loud competition. She performs at the National Finals on May 2nd, 2021. Tabarajah is a senior at Oregon Charter Academy. A shy kid, she took up poetry reciting as a way to overcome her fears of public speaking. Poetry Out Loud is a free program that encourages young performers to dive into poetry through memorization and competition.

From Tabarjah:

My name is Tabarjah Neal (Tabby). I am a senior at Oregon Charter Academy, which is an online school.

I joined Poetry Out Loud in my Junior year in 2019-2020. I joined Poetry Out Loud to overcome my fear of public speaking. I advanced to the State competition. Due to COVID-19 the competition was canceled. My teachers Ms. Imig, Bauguess, and Hubbard encouraged me to continue in my Senior year. As well as, help me practice each poem in preparation for the school competition. In my senior year, 2020-2021, I was able to compete at State and won. I advanced to the national level to represent Oregon.

During my spare time I enjoy reading poetry from authors like: Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou, and Shel Silverstein. In my free time I paint and draw. My aspiration is to continue participating in the arts when I attend college. I’m learning how to longboard. I also enjoy cartoons, anime, and video games. In college I plan on majoring in Biochemistry and hope to pursue a career in genetic research.