May 1, 2025
Valentina Zeff, incoming junior at Modesto High School’s International Baccalaureate program, was selected as the Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate for 2025-2026. She will serve a one-year term, participate in several engagements throughout the year, and receive a $500 honorarium.
Valentina Zeff is a sixteen-year-old poet from Modesto, California who is currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at Modesto High School. Zeff has been writing free verse and ballad poetry since her freshman year of high school. Valentina
Zeff is a sixteen-year-old poet from Modesto, California who is currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at Modesto High School. Zeff has been writing free verse and ballad poetry since her freshman year of high school.
Zeff is active within her community and school through social and environmental activism, extracurricular projects, and volunteering. She was selected to be a member of the Park’s Youth Committee (April 2024-current), Modesto Youth Commission (October 2024-current), and student representative for Modesto High School’s Student Senate for both ninth and tenth grade. During the 2023-2024 Speech and Debate season, she was a top finalist for Original Spoken Word Poetry at State Qualifications. She is also the founder and Co-President of Modesto High School’s Book Club where she leads discussions on novels and poems of interest. Additionally, she is the Secretary and head layout editor/designer of the Panther Press, Modesto High School’s monthly newspaper.
The Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate is a program of the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center (MoSt Poetry), in partnership with Stanislaus County Office of Education, Stanislaus County Library, MJC’s School of Language Arts & Education and Library & Learning Center, and Stanislaus Library Foundation.
This program celebrates youth voices that are committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement, and social impact. The Youth Poet Laureate position was recognized by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors with a county resolution for National Poetry Month in 2023 acknowledging this new role.
City of Modesto Poet Laureate Angela Drew served as a judge along with fellow community members and champions for poetry: Chris Eddings, Stanislaus County Office of Education ELA/ELD Project Coordinator; Annie Snell, Youth Service Outreach/Supervising Librarian, Stanislaus County Library; Dr. Gillian Wegener, Assistant Superintendent for Oakdale Joint Unified High School District and City of Modesto past poet laureate; Zoe Byron, 2024-2025 Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate; and Mariah Ring, Community Outreach Specialist, Empower 8.
Applicants for the Youth Poet Laureate program submitted an application and an artistic statement/biography indicating civic engagement and leadership background along with original poems and a video explaining their interest in the youth poet laureate position as well as performing several of their poems. Judges examined applicants on content, voice, and craft. Leadership and performance were also considered in determining the young person who will represent our communities as Youth Poet Laureate.
Please join Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center in celebrating new Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff at an event on Saturday, May 31, at 1:00 p.m. in the Science Community Center at MJC West. You will hear original poems from the new youth poet laureate and meet our youth poet laureate participants. To learn more, visit www.mostpoetry.org/contests/ypl.