BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — Her first try, she was a finalist. Her second? She won. Victoria Bogatz, a senior at Bellevue East, is the 2025-26 Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate.
- From her poem, Why I Write: Even if my words never change the world, never make me famous, I want my writing to mean something.
- Though she also writes for the school newspaper and other outlets, when asked about her affinity for poetry, Bogatz said, "I just like the creativity with it. You don't have to follow a certain paragraph format. You don't have to write it in a certain way. You can really do whatever you want with it."
- Her tenure will include public performances, publishing a chapbook of her work, and a community engagement project. Bogatz, who's interested in environmental issues, plans to focus on metro-area green spaces. Two mentors will help guide her through each component.
Continue reading for the broadcast transcript of this story.
When the bell rings, 1,400 Chieftains stream into the halls. Victoria Bogatz is one of one - not just at Bellevue East, but statewide.
"In journalism, our job is to seek truth and report it."
That's Stephenie Conley. She's worked with Bogatz for a few years as an editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
"Right away, I could tell she had what I call the 'journalistic nose.' She's very curious. She's a critical thinker. And she's really good at digging in, especially for investigative pieces," Conley said of Bogatz.
It's poetry, however, where Bogatz is really shining.
A finalist last year - this year, the senior earned top honors as Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate. She's just the fifth person ever to hold the title.
"I just like the creativity with (poetry). You don't have to follow a certain paragraph format. You don't have to write it in a certain way. You can really do whatever you want with it," Bogatz explained.
Free verse is her favorite form. A daughter of two educators, Bogatz began writing poetry in middle school. Her platform now isn't something she takes for granted.
"And even for kids who are like wanting to do poetry, but aren't sure about it, I want to show everyone that poetry can be for you and that it's something that transcends boundaries and things like that," she said of her goals this next year.
Mrs. Conley said she knows the future is bright for Bogatz, who said of her own goals, "Whether that's as a journalist, a novelist or a poet, I just want to get out in the community and use writing as a way to get people together and make everyone feel heard."
Bogatz's term as Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate runs through next spring, and includes public readings, publishing a chapbook, and a community engagement project for which she plans to feature local green spaces.