Valley High School senior Nikita Deo shared two original poems at a Friends Foundation event in support of the West Des Moines Public Library on Friday, March 6. 

Deo is an avid writer who has taken full advantage of Valley’s creative writing courses, including a dual-enrollment course centered on publication and workshop. She contributes to the school’s student-published "Ink" literary magazine and is a frequent performer at the biannual Ink Showcase. Her poems read at the event both leveraged nature as a means of exploring oneself and the world.

“Public libraries and people like you do so much to support young people like me who are still learning the craft," Deo shared at the event after her reading. "I’m honored to share my writing with you and thank you so much for the support and encouragement you offer students and the community.”

Deo plans to attend the University of Iowa in the fall. 

Photo and article credit: Haley Moehlis.

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