Adela Solano Osmundson, a recently graduated senior, has a passion for the written word. She started crafting poetry in 2023 because of the Langston Hughes writing workshops as part of the Swift Youth Writers program facilitated by the Ames Writers Collective.
In 2024, Adela won the Swift Youth Poetry Contest. Her poem, “Demon Tongue,” highlights the struggles of growing up mixed race and the desire to connect back to the culture of one’s parents. Caleb “The Negro” Poet Rainey performed the winning submission at a poetry showcase for the Langston Hughes Project, accompanied by an original score that was written in response to the poem.
Once a student in the Swift Youth Writers Workshop, Adela spent a week in summer of 2025 volunteering to help other students develop their craft. As an aspiring teacher, Adela has a passion for cultivating the art of writing in others. Her own teachers as her inspiration, Adela hopes to one day inspire future generations to write. Watch this video to learn more about her!
