Maryland History Day Winners

Each year Maryland students advance to the Maryland History Day state competition.

See which teachers were honored, who walked away with special prizes, and which projects were selected to advance to the 2023 National History Day® competition in College Park, MD.

Maryland History Day 2023 National History Day National Qualifiers (written in order of first and second place)

  • Junior Papers

    ““Revolution, Sometimes, Is Very Quiet”: The Catonsville Nine and a New Tactic for Nonviolence”
    Student: Moira Capista
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

    “The Equality “Games”: How the Paralympics Opened a New Frontier for People with Disabilities”
    Student: Diya Gandhi
    School: The Bryn Mawr School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Matthew Hetrick

  • Junior Individual Exhibits

    “Lewis Hine: Child Labor Activist, Photographer, Inspiration”
    Student: Eve Tang
    School: Bonnie Branch Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Anne Schaefer

    “Forging A Frontier in Fabric: American Textiles”
    Student: Lydia Wilburn
    School: Northern Middle School, Garrett County
    Teacher: Amanda Wilburn

  • Junior Group Exhibits

    “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: How One Catastrophe Forged the Frontiers of Labor Laws and Fire Safety”
    Students: Isabella Lundin, Kadyn Edwards, Sophia Wetherill
    School: The Tome School, Cecil County
    Teacher: Amy Roose

    “Plastic – A Bad Reputation for a Life Changing Invention”
    Students: Amit Hegde, Samarth Korada
    School: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Lisa Wroblewski

  • Junior Individual Documentaries

    “Jackie Robinson: From Cairo to Cooperstown”
    Student: Lucy Scarbro
    School: Old Mill Middle South, Anne Arundel County
    Teacher: Philip Casolo

    “Working Women: The Impact of WWII on Gender Equality”
    Student: Jenna Campbell
    School: Clarksville Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Beth Ceglia

  • Junior Group Documentaries

    “From Traders to Traitors – The British Framing”
    Students: Neal Shandilya, Vihaan Jain
    School: Bonnie Branch Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Anne Schaefer

    “Pathways to Peace : Gandhi’s Influence Through the Ages”
    Students: Anjali Dalal, Mishka Sanghavi
    School: Bonnie Branch Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Anne Schaefer

  • Junior Individual Performances

    “The Reincarnation of Freudism: From Psychoanalysis to Psychotherapuetic Practices”
    Student: Ashlyn Pankow
    School: Mayfield Woods Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Daniel Stone

    “The woman who dared: Lakshmibai”
    Student: Ishita Singh
    School: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: James Dempsey

  • Junior Group Performances

    “The Negative Impact of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on Native Americans”
    Students: Diana Ince, Rebecca McCracken
    School: Eastern Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Ryan Flynn

    “The Artificial Heart: Saving Lives with a Man-Made Machine”
    Students: Annabelle Wu, Jayde Liu, Jina Choi, Tirzah Chan
    School: Clarksville Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Jay Farmer

  • Junior Individual Websites

    “Quilombos: Liberation in Identity”
    Student: Solenyi Onwueme
    School: Clarksville Middle School, Howard County
    Teacher: Beth Ceglia

    “The First Alaskans | How foreign imperialism destroyed a civilization”
    Student: Tomas Cleves
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

  • Junior Group Websites

    “The Brothers Grimm: Paving A Frontier In the Preservation of Culture and Literature”
    Students: Faith Adewole, Saxen Lancaster, Winter Swann
    School: Kenmoor Middle School, Prince George’s County
    Teacher: Irene Prescott

    “Stonewall: Forging The Gay Rights Movement”
    Students: Eden Rankin, Jessalyn Simmons
    School: Northern Middle School, Garrett County
    Teacher: Amanda Wilburn

  • Senior Papers

    “Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Frontier of Gender Roles in America”
    Student: Laura Civillico
    School: Poolesville High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Jennifer Marks

    ““It’s Not Fair”: How the Justice for Vincent Chin Campaign Crossed Frontiers for Asian American Activism”
    Student: Chloe Chang
    School: Poolesville High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Jennifer Marks

  • Senior Individual Exhibits

    “From Humorous Beginnings: How an Incorrect Theory led to the Frontier of Balanced Eating Medicinal Breakthroughs”
    Student: Jack McGuinn
    School: Mount Saint Joseph High School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Ryan Folmer

    “Vivien Thomas: A Pioneer Who Transformed Cardiac Surgery”
    Student: Liwen Yang
    School: Bullis School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Tim Hanson

  • Senior Group Exhibits

    “Anesthesia: Changing Surgery Forever”
    Students: Kashvi Mehta, Olivia Warhol, Vidya Suddamalla
    School: Reservoir High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Jan Edlowitz

    “André Leon Talley’s Closet: The Frontier of Fashion”
    Students: Ava Milisits, Kyna Owusu, Rhia Basit
    School: Poolesville High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Stephanie Gomer

  • Senior Individual Documentaries

    “Wade in the Water: How African Americans Got Back Into the Pool”
    Student: Sarah Giroux
    School: The Bryn Mawr School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Matthew Hetrick

    “Black Wall Street: The Majestic Story of Wealth in All-Black Towns”
    Student: Charan Bala
    School: River Hill High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Jessica Nichols

  • Senior Group Documentaries

    “Cuneiform: How a Linguistic Innovation Revolutionized the World”
    Students: Athena Devashish, Julia Shi
    School: River Hill High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Callie Casper

    “Crawling Across the Frontier: The Capitol Crawl of 1990”
    Students: Garion Cheng, Henry Shan, Luke Wu, Soham Jinsi, Victoria Diaz
    School: Winston Churchill High, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Christopher Forney

  • Senior Individual Performances

    “Inside the Double Helix: Frontiers in Genetics Based on the Discovery of the Structure of DNA”
    Student: Annette Horner
    School: Howard High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Danelle Brennan

    “The Stonewall Riots: The Event that Changed Queer Life Forever”
    Student: River Gleeson
    School: Howard High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Leah Foran

  • Senior Group Performances

    “The Northern Dream”
    Students: Daniel Longe, Isaac Koffi-Moyet, Zion Zackery
    School: Loyola Blakefield, Baltimore County
    Teacher: Samuel Manelski

    “Women Making Headlines”
    Students: Mallary Krieger, Rebekah Mueller
    School: Old Mill High School, Anne Arundel County
    Teacher: Kristin Frankenfield

     

  • Senior Individual Websites

    “Silent Spring Crossing Frontiers”
    Student: Vi Moss
    School: Patuxent High School, Calvert County
    Teacher: Jacqueline Hall

     

    “First Impressions: The Opening of a New Artistic Horizon in the 19th Century”
    Student: Cora Wood
    School: Long Reach High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Lisa Milak

  • Senior Group Websites

    “The Happiest Place On Earth”
    Students: Christopher Yeung, Nora Rudmann
    School: Poolesville High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Stephanie Gomer

    “Vikings: Frontiers in History”
    Students: Atir Pradhan, Michael Lioe
    School: Northwood High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Monica Bond-Lamberty

Maryland History Day Teachers Awards

  • Maryland History Day Statewide Middle School Teacher of the Year

    Denise Kresslein
    North Carroll Middle School
    Carroll County

  • Maryland History Day Statewide High School Teacher of the Year

    Thomas Stavely
    Parkdale High School
    Prince George’s County

  • Allegany County

    Brody Mackert
    Center for Career and Technical Education

  • Anne Arundel County

    Victoria Peddicord
    Southern Middle School

  • Baltimore City

    Dr. Matthew Hetrick
    The Bryn Mawr School

  • Baltimore County

    Samuel Manelski
    Loyola Blakefield

  • Calvert County

    Caitlin Reid
    Windy Hill Middle School

  • Caroline County

    Andrew Buffenmyer
    North Caroline High School

  • Cecil County

    Amy Roose
    The Tome School

  • Charles County

    April Thompson
    Milton M. Somers Middle School

  • Frederick County

    Lori Saylor
    Windsor Knolls Middle School

  • Garrett County

    Amanda Wilburn
    Northern Middle School

  • Howard County

    Anne Schaefer
    Bonnie Branch Middle School

  • Montgomery County

    Lori Enicks-Kniss
    Redland Middle School

  • Queen Anne's County

    Todd Boyer
    Centreville Middle School

  • St. Mary's County

    Jill Hutchinson
    St. Mary’s County Public Library

  • Talbot County

    Caitlin Blough
    Easton Middle School

  • Washington County

    Jason Kamler
    South Hagerstown High School

2023 Special Prize Winners

  • Marilyn Hatza Award for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

    “42’s Frontier”
    Category: Junior Group Exhibit
    Student: Blaine Pendergraft, Jackson Widdoes, Mason Knott, Matthew Woods
    School: The Tome School, Cecil County
    Teacher: Amy Roose

    “The Expansion of Hip-Hop”
    Category: Senior Group Documentary
    Student: Cortez Washington, Jr, Sean Quartey
    School: Loyola Blakefield, Baltimore County
    Teacher: Samuel Manelski

  • Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Award for Excellence in Government History

    “It Was Her War Too!”
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Abigail Mohler
    School: Calvert Middle School, Calvert County
    Teacher: Jessica Landolt

    “Jeanette Rankin: The First Of Many”
    Category: Senior Individual Website
    Student: Danica Bennett
    School: St. Maria Goretti Catholic High School, Washington County
    Teacher: Ryan Cascio

  • Award for Excellence in Asian History, sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County History Department

    “America’s Concentration Camps: Geographic Isolation, Racial Segregation, and Activism on the Historic Frontier”
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Natalia Hay
    School: Redland Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Lori Enicks-Kniss

  • Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement and Action, sponsored by the Maryland Council for the Social Studies

    “The Awakening”
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Arianie Dey
    School: Urbana Middle School, Frederick County
    Teacher: Erin Spahr

    “Glowing Girls: How Dial Painters Illuminated the Path towards a Brighter Future”
    Category: Senior Group Exhibit
    Student: Allysia Smith, Shelby MacFarland
    School: North Caroline High School, Caroline County
    Teacher: Andrew Buffenmyer

  • The Barry A. Lanman Award for Excellence in Oral History, sponsored by Barry A. Lanman

    “Math, Airplanes, and Radar: How World War Innovations Changed the Frontier of Weather Forecasting”
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Lydia Tucker
    School: Newport Mill Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Alex Furno

  • Award for Excellence in Labor History, sponsored by Bill Barry and Friends

    “Cesar Chavez: A Humble Frontiersman In Labor Rights”
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Christopher Hill
    School: Accokeek Academy, Prince George’s County
    Teacher: Leslie Armstrong

    “Hull House: Frontiers in Social Work and Service”
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Hannah Ahn
    School: Marriotts Ridge High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Christina Costabile, Lynn Rashid

  • Eugene J. Becker Award for Excellence in Cybersecurity and Cryptology , sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation

    “Codemaking, Codebreaking, and the Evolution of Secret Writing”
    Category: Junior Group Website
    Student: Ben Godoy, Lian Umberger, Luca Petroni
    School: Newport Mill Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Matthew Baldassano

    “The Internet: Crossing the Frontier into a New Age of Networking”
    Category: Senior Group Exhibit
    Student: Alexander Sleeman, Javesh Sood
    School: Mount Saint Joseph High School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Ryan Folmer

  • The George Washington Leadership Prize, sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon

    “The Watergate Scandal : Its impact on Investigative Journalism”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Student: Alia Bolden, Catherine Wilson
    School: College Park Academy, Prince George’s County
    Teacher: Angela Ohl

    “The Middle Passage and The Scientific Revolution”
    Category: Senior Individual Documentary
    Student: Jaina Dotson
    School: Oxon Hill High, Prince George’s County
    Teacher: Thomas Klug

  • The Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by the National Cryptologic Foundation

    “Alan Turing’s Frontier: Cracking the Code”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Student: Beck Medlin, Desmond Horvath, Emmanuel Dominguez
    School: Hampstead Hill Academy, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Amy Kosmer

    “The Worm that Ate Through the Internet: The Morris Worm”
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Aleah Dinmore
    School: Arundel High School, Anne Arundel County
    Teacher: Michael Yuscavage

  • Award for Excellence in Maryland History, sponsored by the Maryland Center for History and Culture

    “Baltimore and Ohio Railroad”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Student: Mikaylah Bell, Sumayya Shaikh
    School: Al Rahmah School, Baltimore County
    Teacher: Mam Marie Kah

    “To Be Immortal: How HeLa Cells Forever Changed the Field of Biomedical Research”
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Leslie Monter Casio
    School: North Caroline High School, Caroline County
    Teacher: Andrew Buffenmyer

  • Michael E. Patten Memorial History Award for Best Use of Primary Sources, sponsored by the Frank Patten Family

    “American with Disabilities Act: Paving the Way for The Disabled”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Student: Claire Hersh, Isabella Hampton
    School: Centreville Middle School, Queen Anne’s County
    Teacher: Thomas Hayman

  • Award for Excellence in History of Science and Technology, sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County History Department

    “Driving Change: A Short History of the Assembly Line”
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Ryland Bennett
    School: Plum Point Middle School, Calvert County
    Teacher: Hope Mullins

  • Special Prize for Excellence in Women's History, sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County History Department

    “Roe v. Wade: A Frontier in Women’s Reproductive Rights”
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Nora Swisdak
    School: Sykesville Middle School, Carroll County
    Teacher: Mary Mullinix

  • Special Prize for Excellence in Women's History, sponsored by the Maryland Women's Heritage Center

    “The Evolution of Media in The Riot Grrrl Movement”
    Category: Senior Group Performance
    Student: Daniela Martinez, Allison Sweeney
    School: Poolesville High School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Stephanie Gomer

  • Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, sponsored by the Maryland Historical Trust

    “Shaping History with Architecture”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Student: Sana Shenoy, Sruthi Madhusoothanan
    School: Windsor Knolls Middle School, Frederick County
    Teacher: Lori Saylor

    “The Works of Madam C.J. Walker”
    Category: Senior Group Exhibit
    Student: Aanya Singh, Angela Avalos, Cecilly Nelson, Hephzibah Ikpe
    School: DuVal High School, Prince George’s County
    Teacher: Patrick Wilborn

  • Award for Excellence in Legal and Constitutional History, sponsored by Cynthia Raposo and Joseph Furey

    “The Loving v Virginia case of 1967 and How it Affected Originalism and Cases Dealing With Equal Rights in the Future”
    Category: Junior Group Performance
    Student: Olivia Nelson, Sarani Neravanda
    School: Eastern Middle School, Montgomery County
    Teacher: Ryan Flynn

    “Leo Frank: The Ultimate Sacrifice on the Jewish-American Frontier”
    Category: Senior Individual Performance
    Student: Xavier Champagne
    School: North Caroline High School, Caroline County
    Teacher: Andrew Buffenmyer

  • Award for Excellence in LGBTQ+ History, Sponsored by Aaron Heinsman

    “Harvey Milk; life and legacy”
    Category: Junior Group Performance
    Student: Lyla Blanchard, Theo Anderson
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

    “The Stonewall Uprising: Pioneering Gay Rights”
    Category: Senior Group Documentary
    Student: E Lumayog, Jordyn Johnson, Kaimya Thomas
    School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore City
    Teacher: Patrice Frasier

  • Excellence in White House History, Sponsored by the White House Historical Association

    “Katherine Johnson, The Unsung Hero in the Race to the Final Frontier”
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Grace Stine
    School: Northwest Middle School, Carroll County
    Teacher: Jennifer Borcik

    “Crossing the Space Frontier: The Race that Led to the Rise and Fall of STEM Education in America”
    Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Nafisa Ali
    School: Marriotts Ridge High School, Howard County
    Teacher: Christina Costabile, Lynn Rashid

  • “The excitement of the research was wonderful for my students’ academic progress. They now feel capable of doing any research paper that may be assigned in college!”

    Maryland History Day 2019 Teacher

  • “My students went deeper with primary and secondary sources than ever before. They used critical thinking skills and applied the transfer goals and essential questions on a deeper level than they could have in class. It challenged them to think deeper and defend their findings.”

    Maryland History Day 2019 Teacher

  • “By using a variety of sources, I was able to get angles on my topic that I wasn’t able to before. Also, I learned so much about a topic near and dear to my heart that will enrich my learning later in life.”

    Maryland History Day 2015 Student

  • I’ve loved judging! It’s exciting to see the passion the middle schoolers have put in their projects. I hope that my critiques have helped strive for excellence throughout their lives.

    Dee Krasnansky, Maryland History Day Judge

  • “I think the continual process of improving her research and presentation through the various levels of competition has been incredibly valuable. It has caused her to dig deeper in her research and build upon and refine her work and presentation.”

    ​Maryland History Day parent

  • “The thing that had the most impact were the skills that I got from this project. I developed better hunting skills in terms of looking for reliable sources and I also learned to work hard and not procrastinate to achieve something great.”

    Maryland History Day student participant

  • “We were very impressed with the depth of research all the students did for their History Day projects. It was fun to see them interacting with each other during the competition and events.”

    Lori and Josh Skillman, History Day Parents

  • “The students are now far more prepared for the high level of scholarship and achievement that will be expected of them in future years. MHD also elevated many other skills too. These include public speaking, the use of technology, learning to collaborate.”

    ​Maryland History Day teacher

  • “[My son] became a real expert in his topic and, he says, developed a life-long love of history, especially the history of music. I cannot thank you enough for this rare and incredible opportunity.”

    Andrea LeWinter, parent of Maryland History Day participant

  • “It provided an opportunity for my child to learn through experiential opportunities. He had interviews and tours that were relevant to his topic that helped the history come alive and create unforgettable memories.”

    Maryland History Day 2015 Parent

  • “MHD illustrated the applicability of the study of history to contemporary issues and current events. It was very motivating to converse with the students about their historical topic and observe how they applied it to current events and their own life circumstances.”

    ​Maryland History Day parent

  • “The part of History Day that had the most impact on me was seeing all the other entries and entry categories. It was really inspiring to see so many different people of history honored for their leadership and legacy as that was this years theme. You forget that the whole world has a history and there are so many different people and leaders who make up that history. The fact that this day brings together all of us students, our imaginations, our creativity, research skills, and history really reminds you how much of us would be lost if we didn’t remember those who made an impact.”

    ​Maryland History Day student participant

  • “History Day has taught men how to interpret and effective use primary sources in my writing to create and support claims. Now I am much more likely to explore databases, go to libraries, and explore further external sources for credible and effective sources.”

    Maryland History Day 2019 Student

  • “My students became more competent researchers, and took ownership of their work. They had total free reign to choose their topic, direct their research, and create their final project.”

    ​Maryland History Day 2015 Teacher

  • “[The students] learned a variety of ways to present their material and they could focus on what they wanted to learn about. The students had a choice in their learning. It was about their learning NOT what someone else felt they need to learn.”

    ​Maryland History Day teacher
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