Trayshun Holmes-Gournaris of Oregon School for the Deaf is Oregon’s 2022 Poetry Out Loud winner

(MARCH 18, 2022) Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program. It encourages high school students to study poetry. It holds state competitions every year. Students recite poems to gain public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literature.

The 2022 contest in Oregon was March 11. The winner was Trayshun Holmes-Gournaris. He is a student at Oregon School for the Deaf.

“I am shocked and excited,” Holmes-Gournaris said. “I have been trying for years to win. I really enjoy this field.”

Holmes-Gournaris, who also presides over his school’s student body government and competes on the school’s basketball and track teams, performed three poems in the state contest. One poem was “The Song of the Smoke” by W.E.B. Du Bois. Another was “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou. The third was “Silence” by Thomas Hood. He performed the poems in sign language.

"Trayshun brought originality and a strong poise to each of his poems," said Subashini Ganesan. She is a poet who served as a judge for the state contest.

The Oregon Arts Commission made accessibility guidelines for deaf students to participate in Poetry Out Loud in 2009. That's when the Oregon School for the Deaf began participating. Those guidelines have now become a national standard. Holmes-Gournaris is the second state champion to be named from the school. Former OSFD student Tiffany Hill was the 2009 Poetry Out Loud state champion.

“This was Trayshun’s second year participating with Poetry Out Loud and his performances this year blew us away,” said Briana Linden. She is one of the event's coordinators. She added, “He shows us that poetry performance has no boundaries and also serves as a powerful and important reminder that those who are deaf and disabled are an integral part of our artistic communities. We are overjoyed to support Trayshun as he moves forward to nationals.”