Newtown High School junior Ashley Gong has been selected to be one of this year’s five National Student Poetry Ambassadors.

Ashley has known about her achievement since July, but had to keep it a secret until it was announced. That announcement came during a visit to Washington, D.C., September 17-20, during which First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a reading, which was the first event the five National Student Poetry Ambassadors took part in, kicking off their year as ambassadors.

“To be considered for the National Student Poets program, you first have to win either a National gold or a silver medal in poetry from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards,” Ashley said last week. “And then from that pool of 35 semifinalists, which are chosen by a panel of judges … you submit more materials, more poems, and in the end five finalists are chosen from that pool.”

The National Student Poets Program, according to a release, is the nation’s highest honor for teen poets presenting original work. The five young poets were appointed by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to showcase the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success, according to the release.

Mrs Obama, the honorary chairman of the President’s Committee, hosted a reading event with the poets at The White House. Over the next year the poets will take part in workshops, service projects, and more events. According to Ashley, the reading also took place during a brief visit to Washington, D.C., for each of the poets, that included other events.

“With this award, we celebrate the exceptional creativity, dedication, and promise of the young poets we honor today,” said Mrs Obama. “Their courage, compassion, and imagination are inspiring others and shaping the world around them. As literary ambassadors to people across the country, these young people have the opportunity to set an example and inspire audiences of all ages with their written work, readings and service projects. Our National Student Poets and all of our young people have unlimited potential, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the years ahead.”

Meeting the First Lady, who presided over a pinning ceremony during the event,  and reading in front of Mrs Obama, Ashley said, was “surreal.”

“It was such an incredible experience,” said Ashley. Adding later, “She was really warm, welcoming, and genuinely supportive of the program.”

The poets, according to Ashley, also co-led a workshop at the US Department of Education, read during another ceremony at the Library of Congress, and went to “many cool events filled with many great people.”

This year’s other National Student Poets are Weston Clark of Indianapolis, Ind.; Julia Falkner of Louisville, Colo.; Madeleine LeCesne of New Orleans, La.; and Cameron Messinides of Greenville, S.C.

As youth ambassadors for poetry and the art of language, the National Student Poets will lead readings and workshops at libraries, museums and schools throughout the country, as well as participate in prestigious events such as readings at the Library of Congress and the US Department of Education, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival where they will present on a panel for educators, according to the release.

In addition, the National Student Poets will implement community service projects in their respective regions, which in the past have reached diverse audiences such as military children, patients at a children’s hospital, nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease, and homeless youth, among others. During this year of service, they will also continue to develop their skills through workshops and conversations with the nation’s top writers and thinkers, the release said.

“Part of my role as a National Student Poet is to implement a community service project that promotes poetry to people,” Ashley said. “Besides that I will also be conducting workshops, doing readings, going to events, and many other things to spread the appreciation of poetry.”

Ashley said she has been thinking about what she will do for her community service project, but has not decided what to do just yet. Each of the National Student Poets, Ashley also said, represent a different region of the country, so her project will be within the Northeast.

“I’m really excited for the year ahead,” said Ashley, who said she started writing poetry “out of the blue” her freshman year at NHS.

Since then, Ashley said her family — mother Lin, father George, and younger brother Kevin — have been supportive of her poetry.

The National Student Poets will each receive an academic award of $5,000 funded by the Bernstein Family Foundation and will serve as resources for the Library of Congress and U.S. Department of Education, according to the release.

Throughout the fall, students in grades 9-11 who are interested in becoming National Student Poets can submit their work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Deadlines for art and writing submissions vary by region.

In the spring of 2015, the National Scholastic Award winners in poetry will then be eligible for the program. More information about how to apply and about the National Student Poets Program can be found at www.artandwriting.org/NSPP.