Lyrical Sanctuary Student Showcase Featuring Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Aleena Ahmed

5pm-5:55pm | Reception | MLK Lounge

6-6:45 p.m. | Creative Writing Workshop | Union 119 

Aleena Ahmed is a Bengali-American poet and student at Nicolet High School serving as the 2024-2025 Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate. As a writer, her multicultural upbringing has greatly influenced her perspective. She hopes to demonstrate the power of language as a tool to challenge conventional thought and reflect cultural identity. 

Led by the 2024-25 Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Aleena Ahmed, this generative poetry workshop invites participants to unleash their inner “yapper”—that passionate voice shaped by niche interests and personal lore. Drawing inspiration from surrealist poets from the past century, you’ll explore techniques to develop poetic intuition, embrace creative spontaneity, and carve out your unique aesthetic sensibility. 

7-9 p.m. | Open Mic & Feature Performance | Union Fireside Lounge 

Celebrate the talent of UWM student artists at our 13th Annual Student Showcase! Selected student artists collectively headline the final Lyrical Sanctuary event of the school year. It will be a fun night of poetry, music and workshops you don’t want to miss! 

For more information or to request accommodations contact Sociocultural Programming: sociocul@uwm.edu    

Sponsored by Sociocultural Programming