Two Maryland Students Win Gold Medals in National Competition

Sixteen Maryland Students Receive Honors at National History Day

(Baltimore, MD) – Two Maryland students won the gold medal in their categories at National History Day, held June 11–15, 2023 at University of Maryland in College Park. Laura Civillico, who attends Poolesville High School in Montgomery County, also received a scholarship to attend the National History Academy. She wrote a paper: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Frontier of Gender Roles in America. In addition to her gold medal, Abigail Giroux—who directed a documentary entitled Wade in the Water: How African Americans Got Back Into the Pool — received the Anne Harrington Award and the Next Generation Angels Award, both through the documentary-centered nonprofit, The Better Angels Society. Giroux also received a scholarship to attend the National History Academy. She represents the Bryn Mawr School of Baltimore. Fourteen other Maryland students received Special Prizes, were awarded Outstanding State Entry, or were selected as Finalists.

The National History Day competition involves more than 3,000 students in the final stage.  Over a half-million students participate at the school, district, state, and national levels. Competitors traveled to College Park from all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia.

Advancers to National History Day typically have won first or second place at the Maryland History Day State Contest, a culmination of the year-long Maryland History Day program presented by Maryland Humanities. For Maryland History Day, an affiliate of National History Day, students create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme.

The following students received a Special Prize, were selected as a Finalist, or had their projects selected for a public showcase: Isaac Koffi-Moyet, Daniel Longe, and Zion Zackery of Baltimore County; Charan Bala, Athena Devashish, River Gleeson, Julia Shi, and Cora Wood of Howard County; and Rhia Basit, Diana Ince, Ava Milisits, Kyna Owusu, Rebecca McCracken, and Liwen Yang of Montgomery County.

See the list of Maryland honorees at National History Day 2023 here or learn more about the Maryland History Day here.