Presenting on “The Journey of Harriet Tubman,” Edgewood students Brittany Duncan, Valerie Lopez and Emma Marsh impressed judges and earned a spot at the state competition.

WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools’ students recently participated in the National History Day regional competition Saturday, Feb. 25, at St. Mary’s College in South Bend.

Four teams from Edgewood Middle School and one sixth grade team attended the event. Of the teams who participated, four will move on to the state competition in May.

National History Day is an inquiry-based project which features three competition phases that students can compete in. Students start at the regional level and if their project qualifies, move on to the state competition. From state, qualifying participants are invited to compete at the national level.

The sixth-grade team, comprised of Keller Bailey and Jason Benyousky, Washington Elementary; Ryun Hoffert, Eisenhower Elementary; and Geoffrey Hochstetler, competed in the junior division of the group performance category with a 10-minute oration titled, “The Many Stands of Pearl Harbor.” The team is led by retired WCS teacher Richard Rooker.

Edgewood’s state qualifying teams and topics included: The Journey of Harriet Tubman: Brittany Duncan, Valerie Lopez and Emma Marsh; Shay’s Rebellion: Sam Lechlitner, Nathaniel Lechlitner and Carson Kerlin; and The Declaration of Independence: Ian Denzer, Jacob Denzer and Dylan Owens. Edgewood’s fourth team, comprised of Jacob Hawn, Tyler Barber and Ross Hutton, just narrowly missed the state cutoff. The team’s project was centered on Sitting Bull.

Edgewood’s teams are led by history teachers Breydon Allen and Richard Sellers with assistance from Edgewood librarian Susan Eberhardt.

“These students have worked very diligently to prepare and we are extremely proud of their efforts,” stated Allen. “While every student in eighth grade at Edgewood is doing the project and presenting to their classmates, the students who competed chose to compete willingly and sought out going the extra mile.”