Stephanie Pacheco serves as the 2024-2025 US National Youth Poet Laureate. This title recognizes writers who use their words to spark social change and inspire activism. A young person from the South Bronx, Stephanie has established quite an impressive, trailblazing platform.

Image Credit: Stanley Ligon (www.stanleyligonart.com)

After serving as New York City Youth Poet Laureate in 2022 and being inaugurated as New York State Youth Poet Laureate in 2023, Stephanie went on to perform at the Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, and at UN Week with the Clinton Global Initiative. Pacheco also visits school-aged students, embarking on a mission to inspire the nation’s future creatives.

Embarking on a Transformative Writing Journey

From decoding ciphers with friends in middle school to analyzing powerful verses in English class, Stephanie explored writing at a young age.

“I remember the first day that I performed a poem and went up to a podium at an event in the South Bronx with a whole bunch of other high school students. I was up there with my papers shaking in hand, but I remember the feeling of performing my poetry for the first time and being listened to by a whole crowd of people, and I realized then how just the poem can shift a room.”

Although public speaking was not her most familiar outlet, finding direction through stories in an unpredictable world grew Stephanie’s confidence. Her writing became a spark that could captivate an audience. Many of her pieces relate to her identity: cultural roots, family values, and the spaces she has called home.

“It feels like I'm getting the opportunity to elevate those same poems about my community, about my blackness, about being Latina, about my womanhood, about being from the South Bronx,” Pacheco said. “I feel like I've been getting the opportunity to raise them to this larger platform, and that has been such an amazing honor. Immediately, I wish that every one of us had that, because every one of us deserves to be able to tell our stories.”

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Connecting with Community and Activism

Connection unites all poets and their communities, bridging geographical and emotional divides. “I think my favorite part of every poetry performance is the people that it points me to,” Pacheco said. “I'll have people come up to me, sometimes in tears, sometimes I'm crying with them, and having them be like: this is my story too, and I never thought I'd see it be told on a stage.”

Poetry took Stephanie to Kolkata, India where she spoke with them about her life, sharing her creative pieces. To her surprise, the students in India resonated with her words and were encouraged to share their dreams. A community sprouted from those poems and their verses, which encompassed two vastly different countries.

Image Credit: Stanley Ligon (www.stanleyligonart.com)

In this way, Stephanie believes art and activism sustain each other in a world often bogged down by statistics. While defeat and overwhelm are common byproducts when faced with injustice, writing can uplift and empower. Daily life is exhausting, but poetry offers some respite.

“It is so easy to get burnt out and to get discouraged, but I think that's when artists come in and remind us all that no — we must keep believing in the thing that we haven't seen yet, because if we stop believing it, that's when it no longer exists,” Pacheco said.

Sources of Inspiration

Of course, such a talented writer must have incredible sources for inspiration. Stephanie rediscovers her creative muse by attuning herself to life’s underlying ‘rhythm’. In her free time, she enjoys learning about history and going down YouTube rabbit holes, watching spoken word poetry performances. Following her advice, every conversation has value and can kickstart a compelling narrative.

“I am so inspired by everyone who has come before me, and I am also challenged by that history,” she said.

In particular, Stephanie recommends Denise Froman, Jive Poetic, and poets who have performed at the Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival.

Image Credit: Stanley Ligon (www.stanleyligonart.com)

Advice for Aspiring Young Writers

In times of uncertainty, Pacheco encourages other youth writers to express themselves and push themselves out of their comfort zones. Every writer should seize the opportunity to raise their voice. Indescribable feelings move us to write and share our aspirations. These emotions are what propel humanity and optimism forward.

“Do it scared. Write the poem, even if the content of it scares you. Go to the poetry slam, even if you've never performed your poems on stage before, post your work even if you're afraid of your mom finding it, or your school friends finding it and thinking that you're dorky or weird. Everything you are dreaming of is on the other side of that fear.”

Keep Up With Stephanie

If you would like to follow Stephanie’s social media or keep up with her latest work, you can find her on Instagram @thestephaniepacheco. All relevant links can be found on her Linktree.