The Nassau County Poet Laureate Society presented its first scholarship award to Mineola High School senior Kristen Sze-Tu on June 11, 2014 for her outstanding achievement in literature, excellence in writing and comprehensive understanding of poetry. Kristen is the 2014 Valedictorian for Mineola High School. Her English teacher describes her as “an incredibly talented writer, equally adept at crafting exquisite creative essays and marshalling her thoughts for cogent, insightful expository essays written in a timed situation. However, it is poetry that is most indicative of her talents and is where Kristen really shines. Her love of language and ear for sound and meter inform all her writing. The fact that she submitted a villanelle as one of her poems for consideration for this award is very telling. She loves complexity and there is a sophistication of thought rarely seen in high school writing.” Pictured from left to right are Paula Camacho, President of the NCPLS, Valedictorian Kristen Sze-Tu and former Nassau County Poet Laureate Gayl Teller who presented the award.