For Eila Kittikamron Mora, what started out as little more than a way to put her feelings down on paper eventually grew into a serious hobby that would earn her recognition at some of the highest levels.

“I would write stuff in my notes app when I was feeling like I couldn’t explain to anyone what I was going through in terms of finding out who I was and my identity,” said Mora, explaining that she had started experimenting with poetry in eighth grade.  “I would write it out in poetry and it would just come out of me in those times.”

The Chicago Youth Poet Laureate of 2025-2026 serves as a literary ambassador for the city and performs at various civic events.  According to Young Chicago Authors, applicants must be 13-18 years of age, be civically engaged, and demonstrate literary excellence.

To apply for this prestigious position, Mora had to compile a resume of all the activities she’d ever done, as well as a brief biography and three original poems.  Among those sitting on the panel of judges was the 2024-2025 Chicago Poet Laureate, Avery Young, who insinuated to her that she had been chosen not just because of her poetry, but because of her civic work, theatre and dance extracurriculars, which showed she had artistic passions outside of poetry.  Additionally, on what was supposed to be a formal document, Mora’s three terms to describe herself were “Poet”, “Performer,” and “Promiser of the Rainbow”, which made her stand out to the judges.  

Winning the title of Chicago Youth Poet Laureate has brought Mora a myriad of opportunities, with many more to come.  Earlier this month, she gave the opening performance at racial equity week alongside the Cook County Commissioner, reading four original poems.

“I literally stopped doing my homework for school for a week just to do all of them,”  Mora admitted.  “Whenever I’m writing a poem, I have to truly dedicate a lot of time to it, and that’s why I’m late every day to school.”

On Sept. 28, Mora, along with Avery Young, is scheduled to participate in a public audience discussion in regards to writing about the body and how identity factors into that at U Chicago Logan Center of the Arts. 

Mora credits her sophomore English teacher, Barbara Hayes, for inspiring her to take writing seriously.

“She was the first person who showed me the beauty of literature and English and she showed me that I could actually do this for real, outside of school as a hobby of mine,”  Mora said. “ [Her teaching style] really resonated with me.  She’s a genius.”

Through her writing, Mora utilizes her dual Colombian and Thai heritage to deal with topics relating to her identity, as well as coming of age themes, grappling with the way she defines herself, love, and the connection between love and her perception of her body.

When asked if she could see herself pursuing a career in poetry in the future, Mora responded that while one of her dreams had been to become a Chicago Youth Poet Laureate, she has many other passions like theatre, writing plays, and screenwriting, and with that, much more she hopes to accomplish.  She thinks of herself not just as a poet or as an actor, but as an all-around creative person.  

“Everything I’ve participated in at school has contributed to the reason I got Poet Laureate,” Mora said. “I think getting to know myself has been really important in communicating what kind of artist I am to people.”