Our Words Our City

Asher

Poet-Athlete

Sixteen year old Asher is a student at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. They have been in DC SCORES since they were 9 years old and are a veteran of the Our Words Our City showcase. In addition to writing poetry, Asher loves drawing, screenwriting, cooking, and films. They hope to be a pharmacist. Their work explores relationships, their inner feelings, and music.

Carter

Poet-Athlete

Ten year old Carter is a poet-athlete at Barnard Elementary. This year will mark her third Our Words Our City performance. Carter enjoys soccer, poetry, cycling, baking, and singing. She wants to be an actor or a singer when she grows up.

Godwin

Poet-Athlete

Nine year old Godwin (aka "GG") is a poet-athlete at LaSalle-Backus Elementary. He enjoys soccer and poetry and wants to be an actor when he is older. He likes to write about his emotions and enjoys poetry because it helps him "shine out and express myself."

Gini

Poet-Athlete

Twelve year old Gini is a poet-athlete at Ida B. Wells Middle School. She has attended DC SCORES for two years and performed at Our Words Our City in 2023 and 2024. She enjoys dancing, volleyball, and flag football in addition to soccer and poetry and hopes to be an actor when she grows up. She likes to write about her own life in her poems and says her favorite thing about her performance style is her "attitude."

Hiyaw

Poet-Athlete

Hiyaw is a nine year old poet-athlete at Truesdell Elementary. He has been in the DC SCORES program since he was seven. He enjoys gaming, arts and crafts, and science, and wants to be an architect and a professional gamer. He enjoys writing about his favorite video games and says performing poetry makes him feel "strong." This will be his first time performing at Our Words Our City.

Kayla

Poet-Athlete

Kayla is a poet-athlete at MacFarland Middle School. Now thirteen, Kayla has been in the DC SCORES program since she was nine years old. In addition to poetry and soccer, she enjoys basketball, drama, drawing and all kinds of creative writing. In fact, she hopes to become a famous author or journalist! Her writing focuses on life in D.C. and, specifically, the experiences of young people in the District. This will be her third time performing at Our Words Our City.

Kollyn

Poet-Athlete

Twelve year old Kollyn is a poet-athlete who attends Alice Deal Middle School. He enjoys sports and poetry and would like to be a famous athlete, poet, baker, or lawyer. He joined DC SCORES as an elementary schooler at Tyler Elementary and enjoys how poetry helps him "express myself to other people and connect with the crowd."

Makhi

Poet-Athlete

Ten year old Makhi is a poet-athlete at Houston Elementary School. He enjoys lots of extracurricular activities in addition to DC SCORES, including being on the basketball team, earth ambassadors, the student council, and the talent show. He would like to play in the NBA when he is older. This is his first time performing at Our Words Our City.

Maya

Poet-Athlete

Twelve year old Maya is a poet-athlete at Ida B. Wells Middle School. She has been in the DC SCORES program for 3 years. When she is older, she would like to be a world famous graphic novelist. She enjoys swimming, drawing, and shopping. Her writing explores her feelings and connection to her home country, Ethiopia. This year will mark her third time performing at Our Words Our City.

Milah

Poet-Athlete

Nine year old Milah has been in the DC SCORES program for just over a year. She won the Shine Award at the DC SCORES Eastside Poetry Slam in 2024. She loves to dance, play soccer and baseball, draw, and play Roblox. When she is older, she would like to be a teacher. She enjoys writing about the past and emulating her favorite rappers. This will be her first time performing at Our Words Our City.

Princess

Poet-Athlete

Nine year old Princess is a poet-athlete at Whittier Elementary School. She won the Shine Award at the DC SCORES Westside Slam in November. In addition to soccer and poetry, she likes to dance, sing, cook, and bake. She would like to be a dancer when she grows up. She likes to perform poetry because it means people hear her and "understand what I am trying to say." This is her first time performing at Our Words Our City.

Uel

Poet-Athlete

Nine year old Uel is a poet-athlete at LaSalle-Backus Elementary. When he is older, he would like to be an inventor. He enjoys soccer, baseball, playing video games, and eating! He loves to write about his favorite books and enjoys performing because it "says 'Hi' to the world!" This will be his first time performing at Our Words Our City.

Veronica

Poet-Athlete

Eleven year old Veronica is a poet-athlete at John R. Francis Education Campus. She has been in the DC SCORES program for 3 years. She enjoys soccer, reading, baking, and cooking, and wants to be a professional soccer player when she is older. The first time she ever performed her poetry she says she was "proud of myself and a little amazed." This year will mark her third Our Words Our City performance.