Raquel Brouwer created a project on Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photo provided.

Press Release

WARSAW — Eight student historians representing Warsaw Community Schools recently competed in the 2020 National History Day Contest held virtually this year from College Park, Md.

The following students competed at the national level remotely with their projects:

• Amelia Alexander and Margaret Burkholder, junior group exhibit, “Desmond Doss Breaks Barriers as a Conscientious Objector.” Alexander and Burkholder finished in the top 30.
• Raquel Brouwer, junior individual performance, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Breaking Barriers Through Law.” Brouwer was number 3 in her category. Brouwer also won the Indiana Affiliate Award for Junior Division at the 2020 National NHD Contest.
• Grace Ganser, junior individual website, “The Clinton 12: Breaking the Barriers of School Segregation.” Ganser placed 7th for this category.
• Ethan Betances, Jason Benyousky, Keller Bailey and Ryun Hoffert, senior group performance, “Werner Von Braun and Sergei Korolev: Breaking the Starry Barrier of Space.” The four placed in the top 50 in their category.

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the national contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. Each of the four projects took first-place honors at the state contest held in late April and went on to represent Indiana at the national competition. Lakeview Middle School produced three state finalist projects coached by teacher-librarian Molly Long. Warsaw Community High School produced one state finalist project coached by teacher Mandy Bailey. All first-place and second-place state finishers in each junior and senior category were eligible to compete in the national contest for National History Day.

During the 2020-21 academic year, National History Day students will explore topics relating to the theme “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” This theme asks students to consider how people exchange information and interact with each other.

From left, are Ryun Hoffert, Jason Benyousky, Ethan Betances and Keller Bailey, who presented a project on Werner Von Braun and Sergei Korolev. Photo provided.

Pictured is Grace Ganser, who created a project on The Clinton 12. Photo provided.

From left, are Mia Alexander and Maggie Burkholder, who presented a project on Desmond Doss. Photo provided.