San Francisco 5th grader wins national poetry slam contest

SAN FRANCISCO - For a young poet, April Barrios-Escobar was nearly speechless when she got the news that she won the America Scores national poetry slam contest.

The 5th grader at E.R. Taylor Elementary School in the Portola neighborhood was one of three finalists out of more than 13,000 students who took part. On Tuesday, she gathered with her family to hug her trophy. 

After struggling to find the words, April finally found her voice. 

"I was like, so excited. I was about to cry and everything, and I couldn't talk at this moment because it's the first time I've ever won anything like this," she said.

April's prize-winning poem is about the love she has for her little sister.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated ER Taylor Elementary School is in the Bayview District. A correction has been made.