English undergraduate Tionna Winn will share four of her poems at 2023 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in Denver, March 29-April 1

By Arianna Bekas

Tionna Winn is a self-described “inspirer,” who creates poetry with a purpose: to uplift herself and others.

As a child, Winn dreamed of becoming a published fiction author; that dream then shifted to becoming a poet when she was in high school.

“I don’t remember when I started writing poetry, but in my freshman year of high school, I was involved in a poetry club,” Winn says. “Ever since then, I started writing more consistently and it became more of a therapeutic thing for me.”

Now a Florida State University senior, Winn has been selected to present her poetry on a larger scale. Organizers of the 2023 National Sigma Tau Delta Convention chose her to read four poems at the March 29-April 1 event in Denver.

Winn found out about her selection through an email she received while she was home in Tampa, Florida.

“I was very excited, definitely ecstatic,” Winn says. “I have been to the convention before—I went last year—so due to that, I was like, ‘I get to go again.’”

Winn feels very prepared and confident but knows that she will experience some nervousness before she is to speak at the convention.

“When I’m performing, I usually take a good three seconds to set the stage and calm my nerves,” Winn says. “I’ll breathe, close my eyes, and look down for a little bit, then go right into it. I know that on the day of [the reading] I will have the jitters.

“I’m really confident though; I really like the poetry that I am sharing, and I think that it will be very nice.”

Winn is a double major in English-Creative Writing and sociology, with a minor in communication. Winn describes how her interest in joining Sigma Tau Delta first manifested.

“I wanted to be a part of something that could help me professionally,” she says.

She adds that with an emphasis on STEM-based majors and organizations, she sought out a group on campus that would not only help her in networking but also allow her to be surrounded by other students involved in English and humanities.

Not only is it an honor for our chapter to be represented at this year’s national convention by Tionna, but it is also an honor for our English department.

— Kristy Cherry-Randle

Kristy Cherry-Randle is the former president of Sigma Tau Delta, and she is excited about Winn’s opportunity to share her poetry at the national convention. Cherry-Randle explains that the selection process is “rigorous,” making Winn’s selection a great honor for FSU’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter, Rho Epsilon.

"Not only is it an honor for our chapter to be represented at this year’s national convention by Tionna, but it is also an honor for our English department,” says Cherry-Randle, an FSU doctoral candidate in English-Literature, Media, and Culture. “Tionna’s acceptance to present at the national convention is also a testament to the success and dedication of her professors and instructors.”

At the convention, Winn is presenting a collection of four poems titled “Black Girls Can Be Colorful Too.” Each of these poems, “speak on the struggles black girls face such as mental health, loneliness, and lack of love,” Winn says.

“The first poem is titled, ‘I think I know why black girls go emo,’ which touches on how society rejects black women romantically due to European beauty standards and being ‘too much,’” she says.

Winn’s second poem is titled “Where Are Our Grooms?” and touches on the difficulties black women face when trying to marry in the United States.

“There are religious references within the third poem titled, ‘Psalms 27:13,’ which gives a more personal look at my battle with depression and negative emotion,” Winn says. “The last poem is called ‘8 Minutes’ and has a more motivational message on confidence and self-love.”

An important component of all of Winn’s poetry, and overall intention as a poet, she says, is not only to serve as an inspirational force for others but also as an outlet for her to release her anxieties and doubts. Those emotions usually revolve around mental health, and the struggles she is experiencing when she is writing.

“I always try to end [my poems] with some type of message, or some type of positive statement,” Winn says. “Despite the obstacles I face as a black woman I acknowledge my ability to see my own beauty, even if no one else recognizes it.”

Winn uses her Instagram page, @twinn_creates, to share her poetry with the world, along with curated photos, personal poems, and messages that support her mission to inspire others. Ultimately, she wants to take her poetry beyond her self-published Instagram posts.

Winn adds that she is “aspiring to be published” and will continue to work on and create new poems that she hopes will be published on various platforms in the future.

For the immediate future, Winn is looking forward to the National Sigma Tau Delta Convention, the opportunities that are sure to arise from her experiences, and to continue to share her poetry with the world.

Arianna Bekas is an English major on the editing, writing, and media track, with a minor in political science.

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