Poet laureate, teacher and ‘artivist’ leads with creativity and courage
Talena Lachelle Queen ’14 turned her UW Bothell education into a platform for community change, serving as Paterson’s poet laureate and founding Word Seed Inc., a nonprofit focused on literacy and the arts. From teaching high school students to organizing citywide poetry festivals, Queen uses storytelling and creativity to advocate for equity, empowerment and social change.