18. Sofia Kamal, 17
Sofia Kamal, a senior at Rancho Solano Preparatory School in Phoenix, Arizona, was named the 2024 National Student Poet for the Southwest—the nation’s highest honor for youth poets. Selected from over 30,000 entries in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Sofia will serve as a literary ambassador, leading workshops and readings throughout her region. A full IB Diploma candidate, she is active in her school’s National Art Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and literary magazine. Her poetry and visual art have earned recognition from YoungArts, the Scholastic Awards, and the Tempe Festival of the Arts. Sofia’s work explores themes of identity, memory, and the natural world.