Incoming Southern Miss student Dupard captures National Poetry Contest | Schools

Kristen Dupard may not write acclaimed poetry, but she certainly ranks among the elite when it comes to reciting and interpreting poems.

Dupard, who graduated from Ridgeland (Miss.) High School in May, was crowned the 2012 Poetry Out Loud national champion during the annual competition held last month in Washington, D.C. She plans to attend The University of Southern Mississippi as a freshman for the upcoming fall semester.

The competition began last September with more than 365,000 students in grades nine through 12, representing approximately 2,255 high schools. Dupard emerged as one of 53 contestants -- which included the 50 U.S. states; Puerto Rico; the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. In addition to a beautiful trophy, Dupard also collected a $20,000 first prize.

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