When she was in the 6th grade, Alessandra Pimentel wrote her first poem in Spanish about her sister, called Mi Hermana. And, because Alessandra’s teacher published a chap book of collected works from students in that year’s class, Alessandra’s very first work was published.
And, it wouldn’t be her last.
Now a student at Paloma Valley High School in the Perris Union High School District, Alessandra is perpetually looking to improve her writing.
The teenage student who draws poetic inspiration from Robert Frost and William Shakespeare refused to let a bout of writer’s block prevent her from submitting work that led to being named a finalist for the inaugural Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate competition in 2021.
“I like reading, and knew what I could fix in my work to keep getting better,” Alessandra said. “There is no failure for me—only not trying.”
In the summer of 2022, Alessandra tried her hand at entering a student spoken word competition in conjunction with the 2022 Excellence Through Equity Conference held September 22-23 in Indian Wells.
The competition, named “If I Speak, Will You Listen?” received 33 submissions from students in 11 districts across Riverside County. The top four students were invited to perform their work in front of the 900+ educators as a reminder of the focus of the conference.
“The work of all four winning students was great, and Alessandra’s poetry was filled with grace, passion, vulnerability, and courage,” said Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator at the Riverside County Office of Education.
Alessandra’s original spoken word piece, We Are The Voice, took some oral preparation before performing in front of a crowd. She rehearsed for weeks in front of a mirror, and in front of her family’s feline friend.
“My cat didn’t really listen and just walked away, so I upgraded from the mirror to practicing with my parents,” Alessandra said. “My dad gave me feedback to slow down and not mumble.”
Read Alessandra Pimentel’s We Are The Voice
“I was very nervous, and was shaking,” Alessandra admitted. “But, I was expressing the emotion in my own way, and that gave me more confidence.”
Alessandra describe the spark behind We Are The Voice as a hearkening back to her experiences in middle school and early high school days.
“I tried to put myself in the shoes of others, use the present tense, and considered how often people are mis-heard in our schools like women, students with disabilities, and those with different beliefs,” Alessandra said. “We all have potential, but some people don’t like that we have a voice and they act like we don’t exist.”
When asked what she hoped the impact of performing her poem would be, Alessandra wasn’t shy.
“My principal was in the audience, and I feel like they got the memo about the poem—that they heard my voice.”
As for her future, Alessandra has grand plans.
“I don’t want to seclude myself to one job. I want to be like a pilot who explores the world to find meaning in it. I thrive when I’m given space—to explore the unexplored and dream about being more than I am today,” Alessandra said. “I want to change my world with my voice and my actions, and my mindset is focused on being something more…something grand…and I get excited thinking about how I’m going to get there.”