Twelve Hamilton County students who placed first or second in their categories at this year’s Tennessee History Day competition will represent Tennessee at the National History Day competition.
After competing in regional contests across the state, 217 students participated in this year’s Tennessee History Day competition held April 15. Out of 124 group and individual projects submitted, 62 students advanced to the National History Day competition, 92 students earned medals and 16 students received special prizes.
The Hamilton County award winners from the Tennessee History Day competition are:
1st Place in the Senior Group Exhibit
Project: Bill Russell: Breaking Records and Racial Stigmas
By: Griff Millner, Nic Spangler
From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
1st Place in the Senior Group Performance
Project: Graffiti: An American Artform
By: Drake Williams, Henry Absher, Jack Searby
From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
1st Place in the Senior Individual Website
Project: A Crying Ecosystem: Rachel Carson's Frontier in Environmental Awareness.
By: Joshua Ellsworth
From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
2nd Place in the Senior Group Performance
Project: Cleopatra
By: Caroline Carpenter, Ella Wiley, Mia Brunetz
From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
Educator: Laura Foster
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Documentary
Project: The Vision For Africa
By: Joshua Mignott
From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Exhibit
Project: The Printing Press: Crossing a Frontier
By: Lenore Sanders
From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
Educator: Laura Foster
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Paper
Project: Pioneering a Frontier: James Willard Schultz Changing the American Perception of Native Americans
By: Shawn Huss
From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
3rd Place in the Junior Individual Paper
Project: Maria Mitchell: the Ground Breaking Woman Scientist
By: Bea Burbank
From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
Educator: Ralph Covino
3rd Place in the Junior Individual Performance
Project: History of Communication with Spirits
By: Emma Virginia Birnbaum
From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
Educator: Ralph Covino
“Congratulations to all the talented students who participated in this year’s Tennessee History Day competition,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
“Good luck to the students advancing to compete in National History Day. I know you will proudly represent our great state.”
History Day is a year-long competition in which students in grades six-12 submit group or individual projects about people and events of historical significance to be judged. These projects include dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries, websites and research papers related to this year’s theme, Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.
“We were so impressed by the research, enthusiasm and creativity displayed by the students at Tennessee History Day this year,” said Tennessee History Day Coordinator Nikki Ward. “It is a testament to their educators, as well as the tenacity of this group of scholars. We are so proud of our Tennessee students.”
The National History Day competition will be hosted at the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Md. on June 11-15. The top finishers in each category will earn prestigious awards and scholarships.
Tennessee History Day is coordinated by the Tennessee Historical Society and sponsored by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Humanities Tennessee, the Memorial Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Tennessee State Library & Archives volunteers and 70 others coordinated efforts to make this event possible.
For more information about Tennessee History Day, visit tennesseehistory.org/tennessee-history-day.
To view a full list of this year’s Tennessee History Day medal winners, visit tennesseehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/report-6.pdf.