Bolles freshman Cyrus Vaghefi ’26 finished in the top 10 at the State Poetry Out Loud competition held March 11 on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus. This is the second time in School history that a Bolles student has advanced to the top 10.

Vaghefi made it to all three rounds of the event, reciting “I am Offering this Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca, “The Light the Dead See” by Frank Stanford and “Where did the handsome beloved go?” by Jalal al-Din Rumi (translated by Brad Gooch).

Upper school English teacher Beth Curran, who accompanied Vaghefi to the competition, said she was thrilled to see him shine as he masterfully captured the attention of audience members and judges alike.  

“Judges admired all of his recitations and noted that he possessed confidence and poise on the stage,” Curran said. “They were shocked that he was a freshman!”

Twenty-five schools from across Florida participated in State Poetry Out Loud. Congratulations to Cyrus on making us all #BulldogProud!