In a celebration marking the opening of Playland Amusement Park for its 2025 season, Harmony Hopwood, Westchester County’s Youth Poet Laureate, shared her original poem titled “Homegrown Wonder.” This work captures the essence of visiting the iconic amusement park through Hopwood’s perspective as a New Rochelle student who grew up nearby.
Hopwood, currently a junior and honor roll student at New Rochelle High School, was selected by the Westchester County Youth Bureau as a Youth Poet Laureate during her freshman year. At just 13 years old, she became the youngest person to hold this title in the county. Her achievements include serving as President of the New Rochelle High School Poetry Club and being a three-time Gold Medalist in the NAACP ACT-SO competition.
The role of Youth Poet Laureate was officially established in Westchester County in 2019. The position aims to foster creative engagement among young people through activities like creative writing and spoken word poetry. The laureate collaborates with educational institutions and partners with the adult Westchester County Poet Laureate.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins expressed admiration for Hopwood’s contribution: “Harmony is a County treasure and an inspiration to all. Her beautiful words took Playland’s opening ceremony to the next level.”
Ernest McFadden, Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau, also praised her performance: “As I listened to Harmony… I truly felt the depth of an old soul and the fire of youth in her words.”
Reflecting on her experience at Playland’s opening ceremony, Hopwood said: “Playland was a big part of my childhood so it was easy to tap into those feelings to create ‘Homegrown Wonder.’”
