A few minutes before lunch period ended, Los Altos teen Myesha Phukan was sitting in a car with friends when her phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. She was about to ignore it – until she noticed the area code.
“I saw it was from Florida and thought, ‘Maybe it’s them,’” the Mountain View High School senior recalled.
The voice on the other end of the line announced the good news: Phukan had been named a 2025 YoungArts winner with distinction in writing. The honor placed her among the top young poets in the country.
YoungArts seeks to “identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential and invest in their lifelong creative freedom,” according to a press release from the national foundation. Out of more than 3,000 young artists who applied within the writing discipline, Phukan was one of just seven poets selected for the title of winner with distinction. As part of this honor, she traveled to Miami for National YoungArts Week, where she engaged in intensive workshops and performances alongside other rising artists
Phukan traces her passion for writing back to childhood, where storytelling played a significant role in her life.
“When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me stories all the time – random ones he made up or classic fairy tales – before bed, on planes, anywhere,” she shared. “That’s where I got my interest in writing in the first place.”
Though she initially gravitated toward fiction and fantasy, Phukan discovered her love for poetry in seventh grade when her creative writing class sat in silence outside for 15 minutes, then wrote a poem about their observations.
“That was when I really started getting into poetry,” she said. “I like that it has a certain rhythm. I think that just poetry, in general, gives you a lot more creative freedom and license with how you phrase things.”
Early in her writing career, Phukan said she fixated on getting published and winning awards, emulating the style of successful writers she found online. However, this never felt natural to her.
“My writing now, …is mostly for myself,” she said. “It has a more personal touch and is more meaningful to me.”
Phukan’s growth as a poet accelerated when she became a Santa Clara County Junior Poetry Ambassador, joining a wider network of poets and mentors.
“That was a turning point for me,” she said. “I remember hearing everyone’s poems, and each of them had such a distinct style and a voice. And I thought they were equally beautiful, meaningful and expressive.”
Another defining moment for Phukan: watching Amanda Gorman recite “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s inauguration.
“That poem, to this day, is one of my favorites,” she said. “I thought it was extremely beautiful and such an intense commentary on political matters and current events in an interesting and expressive way.”
Much of Phukan’s work explores identity and social issues, particularly the experiences of first-generation immigrants. Born in India and raised in the U.S. since age 2, she often writes about assimilation and the challenges faced by marginalized communities.
As a member of her high school newspaper, Oracle, she also used her writing skills to report on sexual harassment. The 2023 article she co-wrote sparked backlash and censorship from school administrators.
“That article was so important to me – not because of the writing itself, but because it gave a voice to victims who felt unheard,” said Phukan, now the paper’s co-editor-in-chief.
Just as journalism allowed her to amplify others’ voices, poetry provides an avenue for powerful self-expression. At National YoungArts Week, Phukan joined a community of other writers and artists equally passionate about storytelling, which she found inspiring.
“There’s a performance every night from the different disciplines,” she said. “Every night we would go to a big auditorium and listen to all of the people in the other disciplines – jazz music, orchestra, dance, singer-songwriters – perform. For me, that was one of the coolest parts about the whole thing. Everyone there was just so so so talented.”
Phukan’s writing performance took place on the final day of the program at the Jewel Box building in Miami.
“We were practicing all day, and setting up where the mics were going to be and staging. And I actually performed first,” she said. “I was so nervous, … but the amount of support there is just incredible. The amount of people that come and are excited to see you perform and read art is insane to me.”
Reflecting on the experience, Phukan described it as transformative.
“In the Bay Area, everything is so focused on STEM and technology,” she said. “Being in an environment where everyone was so immersed in their artistic craft – it was so refreshing. Honestly, it changed my life.”
Looking ahead, Phukan hopes to continue writing as a poet and journalist, using her voice to explore social issues and personal narratives. While she plans to pursue a career in law, she envisions poetry remaining a vital part of her life.
“I would love to continue writing poetry,” she said. “I definitely want to pursue it in college, whether that be joining a literary magazine or just writing on my own time.”
She also has a long-term dream.
“Honestly, I would say my little, unrealistic dream is to someday publish a collection of poems,” Phukan said.
Though her legal aspirations will be her academic priority, she remains committed to refining her art, with poetry serving as both a creative outlet and a means of self-expression.
“So many opportunities and things in my life have come from poetry,” she reflected. “I’m grateful for everything that it has brought into my life, so I definitely hope to pursue it and in some way in my future.”
