South Whidbey High School senior Donia Kashkooli won the Poetry Out Loud Northwest Regional competition on Feb. 3. Kashkooli will advance to compete in the State Poetry Out Loud competition on March 5 in Tacoma.

Competing students chose two poems and memorized them for accuracy and presentation. Kashkooli won after reading “to the notebook kid” by Eve L. Ewing and “The Golden Shovel” by Terrance Hayes. Kashkooli was one of 24 finalists. Thirteen schools competed in the competition.

“I’m incredibly excited,” said English teacher and Poetry Out Loud Coordinator Jaryl Cave. “She is a tremendous lifelong learner. She’s one of those passionate kids.”