In Sacramento this March, a Marin County high school student rose to the top of California’s Poetry Out Loud competition. That student is Lillian Braly, a 17-year-old junior from Marin School of the Arts at Novato High School, who snagged the 2026 state championship and now gets to represent California in Washington, D.C.
Braly’s win shines a light not just on her own skills, but on the reach of this statewide program. It pulls in thousands of students from all over the Bay Area and beyond.
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Marin’s Lillian Braly Leads California Poetry Out Loud to Nationals
Braly’s journey started in the library at Novato and ended up on the big stage in Sacramento. She performed three poems—Countee Cullen’s “Saturday’s Child,” Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat,” and Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!”—all with help from her mentor, Rebecca Pollack.
The finals happened March 8–9. Braly walked away as state champion and now heads to the national finals in Washington, D.C.
Her hometown pride is hard to miss. Folks from San Rafael, San Anselmo, and Novato cheered her on—teachers and families alike.
Meet the State Champion: Lillian Braly
At Novato High’s Marin School of the Arts, Braly’s performance showed off discipline and stage presence. The judges praised her for clarity, rhythm, and the way she brought Whitman, Cullen, and Thayer to life.
People in Marin know the county’s got a thing for the arts, and Braly fits right in. She’s a standout student in Marin County, and she really represents the area’s love for public speaking and literature—a tradition that schools from Tiburon to Mill Valley support.
Braly’s success also says a lot about her coach, Rebecca Pollack. Pollack’s a familiar face in Marin’s arts scene, always helping students turn memorized lines into real performances, whether it’s on the stage at Sir Francis Drake High in Hercules or at city hall in Novato.
- “Saturday’s Child” by Countee Cullen
- “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
- “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman
Runner-Up and Honorable Mentions
California’s state competition didn’t just celebrate Braly. Sailee Charlu, a 17-year-old junior at the Orange County School of the Arts, landed as runner-up and will step in for nationals if Braly can’t go.
Zoewin Abariga from Great Oak High School took home an honorable mention, adding to the mix of strong youth voices. The Poetry Out Loud program really does bring together students from all over—counties like Contra Costa and Napa are raising their own standout poets and speakers, too.
The Bigger Picture: Poetry Out Loud Across California
California’s finals marked the 21st year for the state program. This year, county champions came from 48 counties, with more than 13,500 students and 400 teachers involved across 200+ schools.
The effort also includes the Poetry Ourselves contest for county champs, which encourages creative writing from students at schools all over, including those in Marin.
Milestones, Prizes, and National Reach
- Beza Getahun, 16, of El Dorado High School, won Poetry Ourselves in 2026 with “Alchemy.”
- Charlu (Poetry Ourselves runner-up) and Mahati Vaidyanathan (third) showed off the diversity of California’s student poets.
- Robin Moore from Contra Costa County got the Poetry Out Loud Hero Award for building the county program since 2007.
The state champion gets $200 and a paid trip to the national finals. There’s $500 for the winner’s school library and cash or book awards for runners-up.
The national finals offer about $50,000 in scholarship opportunities. That’s a huge boost for California students eyeing college.
The California Arts Council runs the program, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Marin’s teachers and students play their part in this national network, all working to build public speaking skills, literary knowledge, and confidence through memorization, performance, and competition.
What This Means for Marin Students and the Local Scene
For families in Novato, San Rafael, Larkspur, and Tiburon, Braly’s victory is a reminder that Marin County still stands out for strong arts education. Schools all over the North Bay—whether in Fairfax or San Anselmo—keep investing in dramatic arts and poetry.
Students here have a real shot at state and national recognition. The Poetry Out Loud program keeps showing up in Marin’s classrooms and libraries, helping students build public speaking skills and a sense of civic confidence.
Whether you’re at Novato High, Marin Academy, or one of the middle schools from Corte Madera to south Marin, that support is there. It’s not just about one winner—it’s about a community that genuinely values voice, memory, and the art of performance.
As Braly gets ready for a possible appearance on the national stage in Washington, D.C., Marin County feels that pride. Maybe that’s what really sets the North Bay’s culture apart.
Here is the source article for this story: California Arts Council Announces Lillian Braly of Marin County Crowned Champion of California’s 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals
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