Cedar Falls High School student receives highest award given to young writer in Iowa

2025-26 Iowa Student Poet Ambassador selected for Outstanding Poetry

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Literary representatives from across the state selected award-winning young writer and poet Daniel Somotochukwu Umemezie as the 2025/26 Iowa Student Poet Ambassador (ISPA). Chosen from a highly talented pool of high school students, Umemezie will be officially inaugurated in Des Moines on Friday, April 25th. Umemezie, a junior at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has received multiple accolades for his poetry through the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's leading recognition program for creative teens. With a deep appreciation for rhythm, wordplay, and unexpected metaphors, he aims to make poetry feel less like homework and more like a heartbeat. "The ISPA program recognizes an outstanding young writer and celebrates poetry and the literary arts in Iowa," said Jan Warren, ISPA Coordinator and Program Manager in the Office of Community Engagement. "We are so pleased that Daniel will continue in what is an impressive tradition set by previous ambassadors from across Iowa." Umemezie will be the fifth student to hold this prestigious title. A committee of partner organizations chose this year's ISPA from a select group of high school students across Iowa who participated in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Iowa Poetry Association, or Iowa City Poetry. There were two rounds in the selection process. First, a blind reading and ranking of each student's poetry, and then the committee selected Umemezie based on his ability to serve in an ambassadorial role. Umemezie will be officially inaugurated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 25th, in the historic Law Library at the Iowa State Capitol as part of National Poetry Month. The ceremony will include representatives from partner organizations and feature poetry readings by Iowa Poet Laureate Vince Gotera, outgoing ISPA Tanya Rastogi, and the newly appointed ISPA, Daniel Umemezie.

The University of Iowa's Office of Community Engagement coordinates the Iowa Student Poet Ambassador (ISPA) program, a collaboration between statewide partner organizations. ISPA, an unpaid honor and the highest award to a young writer in the state, is designed to recognize and celebrate a talented student poet, who, in turn, will validate and support the voices of young people in Iowa and raise awareness of the literary arts. ISPA's vision is that Iowa youth will pursue their talents in poetry writing while enhancing enjoyment and engagement with poetry across the state.

ISPA 2024-25 Tanya Rastogi
ISPA 2023-24 Lola Nakashima-Brooke
ISPA 2022-23 Johnnie Each
ISPA 2021-22 Shreya Khullar