Girls on the Rise

PreS-Gr 2–Gorman, the country’s youngest presidential inaugural poet, voices her latest verses uplifting girl power: “everyone’s eyes/ Are on us as we make waves,/ Pave the way, and save the day.” That this book’s publication aligns with the 2025 inauguration is a declaration of commitment and solidarity: “We are girls like never before,/ Speaking out more and more,/ Because when our quiet is broken,/ The world must hear us roar.” She inclusively inserts a direct retort against the prevailing gender policing as she reminds, “Some of us go by she/ And some of us go by they.” Her recitation is strong and solemn, underscored with firm, precise enunciation throughout. She acknowledges fear, she recognizes isolation. She encourages mutual support and communal strengthening. “We are where change is going.”