A Cedar Falls student has been named the National Youth Poet Laureate, according to KWWL. 18 year old Daniel Umemezie is a senior at Cedar Falls High School. He becomes the 10th National Youth Poet Laureate. With that title he will spend the next year supporting literary arts programs across the country while connecting with writers from around the world. Umemezie says his passion for poetry really grew after moving from Nigeria to the United States at the age of 13. He says he used his writing to help him through the culture shock he was experiencing. Prior to winning this title, Umemezie served as the Iowa Student Poet Ambassador, Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate, Midwest Regional Youth Poet Laureate, and he also founded the Iowa Youth Poetry Council. Umemezie says he plans to major in aerospace engineering while minoring in creative writing when he begins college in the Fall.
