We are delighted to recognize Mya S. Pop as the 2024 Salinas Youth Poet Laureate. Mya is a sophomore at North Salinas High School who enjoys writing poetry and playing sports. “I'm an athlete and I usually process my feelings on the court, but during the off-season, poetry helps me take a deeper look into my heart and the way I see the different ideas of the world” says Mya. Adding, “when writing, I get to escape the hectic life of a high school athlete and enter the magic world of words.

This year’s Vice Laureate is Giselle Alvarado. Giselle sees poetry as a platform to “voice to our deepest fears, our greatest joys, and our most profound questions about life, love, and the human experience.”

We would like to thank the judges who had the important task of scoring this year’s entries: Jose Moran (Poet and Director at Boys & Girls Club MC), Mahi Shah ( 2023-24 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate), and Vianey Aguirre-Villalobos (2022-24 Salinas Youth Poet Laureate).

Mya and Giselle received their awards at the Library and Community Services Commission meeting on September 11, 2024.

We look forward to working with both Mya and Giselle during the next two years to generate awareness for and celebrate poetry throughout Salinas. 

Support for this program is provided by the Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL)  who provided funding to award a cash scholarship to the Salinas Youth Poet Laureates. FOSPL is a nonprofit organization of volunteers that works to provide supplemental funding for library programs and services.