A 17-year-old Fenway High School student has been named the first youth poet laureate of Boston.
Alondra Bobadilla called it "an incredible honor" to be named to the position, which advocates for poetry and the arts in Boston.
"I hope that in the next two years I will be able to foster a fiery love and appreciation for all things poetry and literature in the City of Boston," she said in a statement.
The Hyde Park resident was given the title at an event at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square Saturday, according to an announcement from Mayor Marty Walsh's office.
"Empowering Boston's youth and encouraging them to share their creativity and talent is so important for the future of our City," Walsh said in a statement. "I'm confident that she will do an excellent job of helping to make that happen."
Bobadilla will also be mentored by Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola.
"I'm excited to learn and grow with this young person as we both work to excite the City around poetry," Olayiwola said.
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Bobadilla will have a collection of poems published and receive a $500 honorarium each year of her two-year term. She can serve a total of two consecutive terms, according to the announcement Walsh's office.
