The Doris W. Braley Poetry Prize, 2025

In 2025, I received the Doris W. Braley Poetry Prize, an award established by Warren (“Buzz”) Braley in partnership with Portland State University to honor his mother’s lifelong devotion to writing and publishing poetry. This award is presented annually to one incoming and one returning graduate poetry student. The prize recognizes emerging voices committed to craft and community. 

When I entered the MFA program, I was feeling overwhelmed, having never taken a poetry class beyond the required discussions of Shakespeare in my English literature courses. I quickly realized there was a difference between how my classmates and I understood and talked about poetry, and that gap left me feeling like an imposter. The Doris W. Braley Poetry Prize became the moment I finally felt like a poet. It offered a validation I didn’t know I needed and gave me the confidence to trust my voice. 

That confidence was strengthened by my professor, Consuelo Wise, whose reminder that there is no single correct language of poetry helped me embrace my own way of speaking, writing, and imagining the art. I’m deeply honored to be part of this tradition and grateful for the support it reflects.