Portland Youth Poet Laureate: Yashaswini Derisala
2024
Yashaswini (Yashu) Derisala (she/her) is a young, brown, first-generation South Indian Telugu immigrant woman who is going to be a senior at Scarborough High School. She is the first Portland Youth Poet Laureate. She is a leader in the Civil Rights Club of SHS and was a part of the poetry workshop with Maya Williams for two years where she wrote and published poetry in the chapbooks, [Redacted for Monetary Reasons] and Born But Not Alive. She is extremely passionate about social justice and she writes poetry to reflect on the world around her as well as herself to heal and find peace and joy for her soul. She also writes for her inner child to remind herself of her worth. She hopes that her poetry can inspire others to embrace their artistry and so that their voices can feel seen and heard.