Mai-Anh Nguyen, 17, of Columbia is Howard County’s first youth poet laureate.

Nguyen, a junior at Oakland Mills High School, was chosen by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and named during a special event Monday afternoon hosted by the Howard County Poetry Literature Society, also known as HoCoPoLitSo.

The announcement took place in the Lucille Clifton Room at Busboys and Poets in Columbia, where representatives from the county government, HoCoPoLitSo, public school system and community members witnessed the appointment of the county’s first youth ambassador for arts, literacy and youth expression.

Nguyen said she learned about the one-year position from her advanced composition teacher, and wanted to apply because it would give her the opportunity to use what she learned in class.

“I had been very focused on poetry and writing competitions in general,” she said. “When I learned that I could earn an actual position for it, I was thrilled.”

Nguyen recited her original poems, “Earthlings” and “ Knock Down,” at the Monday event.

The youth poet laureate will act as an ambassador for arts, literacy and youth expression at local public readings and at civic events and will receive an honorarium of $500 from the Howard County Arts Council.

The application was open to young writers who are county residents between the ages of 14 and 21. Applicants were required to prepare digital and video work samples, a brief biography and statement about what poetry means to them and a description of their community engagement in any aspect of the arts.

An independent panel of three literary arts professionals and educators with expertise and experience in poetry reviewed each eligible application and recommended finalists. Panelists included Naomi Ayala, Steven Levya and Joseph Ross.

Nguyen was chosen from among five finalists.

“[Nguyen] is a skilled writer, a beautiful, sophisticated and contemporary [poet] and she was unanimously recommended for appointment by our esteemed review panel,” Ball said. “I’m thrilled to introduce her as the very first Youth Poet Laureate of Howard County.”

Coleen West, executive director of the Howard County Arts Council, said the youth poet laureate position will further highlight young talent in the county.

“Howard County is well-known for its vibrant, diverse arts community and we are fortunate to live in an extraordinary place with extraordinary artists,” she said. “We are fortunate that our county government, under the leadership of County Executive Calvin Ball, is expanding support for the arts with record funding and new initiatives like the Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate positions.”

Tara Hart, co-chair of HoCoPoLitSo, said she is excited to work with Nguyen as the Youth Poet Laureate.

“HoCoPoLitSo looks forward to engaging with the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate at events all around the county this school year,” she said. “I could go on about our excitement in working with this young person to inspire and educate our community.”

Nguyen said she is proud to be named the county’s first youth poet laureate.

“Being the first also puts another level of responsibility onto the name, but I’m very glad that I was able to be given this position,” she said. “Having a young person represent poetry means something so different than an older person that the teenagers or kids might not be able to relate to.”