Stanislaus County’s 2025-2027 Youth Poet Laureate
About Valentina Zeff
Valentina Zeff is a seventeen-year-old poet from Modesto, California, and a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Modesto High School. She has been writing free verse poetry since her freshman year of high school.
Beyond her writing, Zeff is actively involved in her school and community through leadership, service, and advocacy. She serves as the Division 46 North Lieutenant Governor for Key Club, is a member of the Modesto Youth Commission (2024-2026), and has represented Modesto High School on the Student Senate throughout her freshman, sophomore, and junior years.
Her work has been featured in Stanislaus Connections, she has spoken at community events, and she received a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for poetry. As the Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate, Zeff is best known for creating Woven Words, a countywide tiny poem anthology contest that promoted youth voices through poetry.
Valentina was reappointed as youth poet laureate for the 2026-2027 term and is directing another Youth Poetry Anthology! Stay tuned; submissions for the Central Valley Youth Poetry Anthology open Friday, November 6, 2026.