Brian Chou (Left), Benicia High School’s 2017 recipient of the Joel Fallon Poetry Scholarship, stands with Benicia Poet Laureate Johanna Ely. (Photo by Sam Morse)

The window has opened for poetically inclined high school seniors to apply for a Joel Fallon Poetry Scholarship.

The honor, named for Benicia’s first poet laureate, was established in 2015 to be given to two graduating seniors– one from Benicia High School and one from Liberty High School who are skilled in poetry. The awards are granted based on the students’ poetic accomplishments as well as potential for future achievement, as reflected by the application materials submitted by the students as well as a personal interview.

One unique element of the Joel Fallon Poetry Scholarship is that there is no requirement for the proceeds to be used on college expenses but rather on whatever they choose. As stated in a news release, “For poets, all of life is education.”

Last year, scholarships were granted to Brian Chou of Benicia High and Jessica Turner of Liberty High. Fittingly, Chou and Turner were their school’s respective salutatorian and valedictorian.

Application forms are available at each school’s counseling office or can be received via email by Mary Susan Gast, scholarship chair and member of the Benicia First Tuesday Poetry Group, at msgast45@gmail.com. The deadline for applications to be turned in is April 15 at Benicia High and May 1 at Liberty High.

Additionally, all high school students in Benicia– seniors or otherwise– who write poetry are encouraged to read their poetry at the April 24 community event “Why Poetry?” Well-known Benicia poets will read their poems alongside up-and-coming teen poets to celebrate Benicia as a poetic community. For more information, email Gast.

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