A Rising Voice in San Bernardino County: Meet Toochi H. Samsylvanus, Our 2025 Poetry Out Loud Champion

We’re thrilled to celebrate a powerful young voice making waves in the world of poetry and performance! Toochi H. Samsylvanus, a 16-year-old sophomore from Norton Science & Language Academy, has officially been named the 2025 San Bernardino County Poetry Out Loud Champion.

This year’s county competition was held on January 25th at the Dorothy Ingrahm Learning Center, with seven local high schools bringing forward their most talented student poets. Hosted by Arts Connection—The Arts Council of San Bernardino County—the event is part of the national Poetry Out Loud program, which exists thanks to a statewide collaboration with the California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Inlandia Institute, and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

Toochi’s stunning recitations earned her the top spot in the county and a ticket to the California State Finals held March 16–17. There, she went head-to-head with champions from across the state and proudly secured 2nd place overall. As runner-up, Toochi is now first in line to represent California at the national finals should the state champion be unable to attend.

This is more than just a win—this is a moment of pride for our region and a testament to the talent, poise, and power that lives in the youth of San Bernardino County. Join us in congratulating Toochi on this incredible accomplishment. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Special thanks to our partners making this program possible: California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Inlandia Institute, and to all the amazing participants sharing their talent and helping uplift San Bernardino County.

Picture Courtesy of Luke Cheng