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 2022 National History Day® competition in College Park, MD.

Maryland History Day 2022 National History Day National Qualifiers (written in order of first and second place)

  • Junior Papers

    Baltimore’s Ballpark Debates and Their Legacy: The Orioles’ Relocation from Memorial Stadium to
    Camden Yards
    Student: Marshall Civin
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

    Relief, Recovery, and Reform: Debate and Diplomacy in the New Deal and FDR’s Court-Packing Plan
    Student: Sakshi Tirodkar
    School: Mayfield Woods Middle School
    Teacher: Daniel Stone

  • Junior Individual Exhibits, sponsored by Columbia Gas of Maryland

    Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring: The Debate That Sparked a Movement
    Student: Gage Waddell
    School: The Tome School
    Teacher: Amy Roose

    The Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the Long Lasting Consequences
    Student: Sam Liebling
    School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
    Teacher: Nancy Barnes, Christopher Nobis, Hannah Mittel

  • Junior Group Exhibits, sponsored by Columbia Gas of Maryland

    “Too Strong for a Woman”: How Bernice Sandler Sparked
    Title IX
    Student: Simrah Khan, Charlotte Tettelin
    School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
    Teacher: Geordie Paulus, Robyn Page, Carl Bell, Beth Berkeley

    John F. Kennedy Vs. Nikita Khrushchev: The Cuban Missile
    Crisis
    Students: Lucy Loughlin, Addie Twomey
    School: Central Middle School
    Teacher: Robert Scarborough

  • Junior Individual Documentaries, sponsored by Wegmans

    The Anglo-Irish Treaty
    Student: Stephen Albert
    School: Kenmoor Middle School
    Teacher: Carol Carter

    Racing Towards Disaster: The Debate & Failed Diplomacy of
    the 1980 Moscow Olympic Boycott
    Student: Anonymous 
    School: Eastern Middle School
    Teacher: Ryan Flynn

  • Junior Group Documentaries, sponsored by Wegmans

    Dissenting Opinion: The Question of Race in the Bombings
    of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Absence of African-American Voices in the Debate
    Students: Grant Burthey, Dermott Foley
    School: Eastern Middle School
    Teacher: Ryan Flynn

    Tear Down This Wall: The Role of Debate and Diplomacy in
    Germany’s Reunification
    Students: Tevin Son, Jayen Tolia, Cheren Song
    School: Lime Kiln Middle School
    Teacher: Tracy Ganey

  • Junior Individual Performances

    The Salem Witch Trials of 1692: How Superstition, Economic
    Instability, and Social Conflicts Fueled Violent Debates.
    Student: Sydney Sharp
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson, Scott Williamson

    The Kanagawa Treaty: Unlocking Japan through Gunboat
    Diplomacy
    Student: Sabrina Wang
    School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
    Teacher: Geordie Paulus, Robyn Page, Beth Berkeley

  • Junior Group Performances

    Ghost Girls: How the Radium Girls Influenced the Debate of
    Workers’ Rights
    Students: Karolina Fredriksson-Lidman, Gabriela Martinez, Maya Seligman, Alana Fluegel
    School: North Bethesda Middle School
    Teacher: Benjamin Israel

    Debate and Diplomacy on Education of the Deaf
    Students: Saniya Pearson, Lillian Merrill, Aliyah Smith
    School: Accokeek Academy
    Teacher: Leslie Armstrong

  • Junior Individual Websites

    Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring: The Power of Environmental
    Debate
    Student: Helen Zhu
    School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
    Teacher: Carl Bell, Robyn Page

    Power, Prejudice, and Paradise: Debate, Diplomacy, and the
    Annexation of Hawaiʻi
    Student: Abe Stolbach
    School: Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Cathy Brock

  • Junior Group Websites

    Loving V. Virginia (1967): Exploring the Debate that Led to
    Marital Freedom
    Students: Mia Pinkham, Addison Greenwald
    School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
    Teacher: Anne Schaefer, Christopher Nobis, Hannah Mittel

    The Iran Hostage Crisis: A Diplomatic Standoff
    Students: Nimay Sharma, Parim Shah
    School: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
    Teacher: James Dempsey, Ruth Ebinama

  • Senior Papers

    Bretton Woods, The Creation of a New World Order
    Student: Alex Yang
    School: Marriotts Ridge High School
    Teacher: Tyler Meinhart

    Exemplar or Crusader? The Debate over Philippine
    Annexation and America’s Departure from Isolationism
    Student: Nathan Zhong
    School: River Hill High School
    Teacher: Callie Casper

  • Senior Individual Exhibits, sponsored by Columbia Gas of Maryland

    The Philippines During World War II
    Student: Ava Larkin
    School: Oxon Hill High School
    Teacher: Carla Saffoe

    The Invisible Empire of the South: The Governments’
    Involvement in the Ku Klux Klan
    Student: Sage Sharma
    School: Bullis School
    Teacher: Timothy Hanson, Sara Romeyn

  • Senior Group Exhibits, sponsored by Columbia Gas of Maryland

    The Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967
    Students: Marie Valouiski, Ariel Zang
    School: Poolesville High School
    Teacher: Stephanie Gomer

    Rotten Fruit: The Banana Massacre of 1928
    Students: Gitanjali Raghava, Anna Chalupa
    School: Howard High School
    Teacher: Mary Saha

  • Senior Individual Documentaries, sponsored by Wegmans

    The Pyrrhic Victory of the 15th Amendment: How Debate &
    Diplomacy Failed the Disenfranchised
    Student: Lily Scheckner
    School: Montgomery Blair High School
    Teacher: Marc Grossman

    The Revolt of the Good Guys: How Postal Workers Found
    Their Voice During the Great Postal Strike of 1970
    Student: Sarah Giroux
    School: The Bryn Mawr School
    Teacher: Matthew Hetrick

  • Senior Group Documentaries, sponsored by Wegmans

    Changing the US Through Debate: The Story of Yick Wo V.
    Hopkins
    Students: Ryan Tehrani, Ryan Zhou
    School: Howard High School
    Teacher: Danelle Brennan

    Playgrounds and Paychecks: Childcare and Working
    Women in World War II
    Students: Emily Kretschmer, Eloise Carter, Shreya Ohri
    School: Montgomery Blair High School
    Teacher: Marc Grossman

  • Senior Individual Performances

    Alvin Ailey: Debate and Diplomacy in Dance
    Student: Anna Porch
    School: Poolesville High School
    Teacher: Stephanie Gomer

    Ratification Of the Constitution
    Student: Hannah Fields
    School: Manchester Valley High School
    Teacher: Stacey Gruber

  • Senior Group Performances

    Dr. Blackwell’s Fight to Become an Ambassador for Women
    in Medicine
    Students: Addison Johns, Chloe Myers
    School: Annapolis High School
    Teacher: Jessica Pantazis

    Power vs Peace
    Students: Keith Ceruti, John Yuhas, Taylor Addison, LaVonte’ Jackson, Arcana Thomas
    School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
    Teacher: Patrice Frasier

     

  • Senior Individual Websites

    Dams, Disagreements, and Diplomacy: The Nile River
    Dilemma
    Student: Dresden Benke
    School: Walt Whitman High School
    Teacher: Colin O’Brien

    The Treaty of Versailles: A Peace Dismantled
    Student: Daniel Li
    School: Marriotts Ridge High School
    Teacher: Christina Costabile

  • Senior Group Websites

    Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: Scientific Diplomacy Amidst the
    Cold War
    Students: Ella Roberts, William Lin, Heleeben Patel
    School: Western School of Technology
    Teacher: Christopher Pagliarini

    The Cuban Missile Crisis
    Students: Seth Hilton, Will Walton
    School: Huntingtown High School
    Teacher: Amy Cox

Maryland History Day Teachers Awards

  • Maryland History Day Statewide Middle School Teacher of the Year

    Devin Page
    Northern Middle School
    Calvert County

  • Maryland History Day Statewide High School Teacher of the Year

    Michael Yuscavage
    Arundel High School
    Anne Arundel County

  • Allegany County

    Ryan Patterson
    Mountain Ridge High School

  • Baltimore City

    Cathy Brock
    Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School

  • Baltimore County

    Mam-Marie Kah
    Al-Rahmah School

  • Caroline County

    Andrew Buffenmyer
    North Caroline High School

  • Carroll County

    Amber Nievod
    Skyesville Middle School

  • Cecil County

    Amy Roose
    The Tome School

  • Charles County

    Heather Beaton
    General Smallwood Middle School

  • Frederick County

    Daniel Pierson
    West Frederick Middle School

  • Garrett County

    Amanda Wilburn
    Northern Garrett Middle School

  • Harford County

    Drusilla Herbert
    Bel Air Middle School

  • Howard County

    Tracy Spillman
    Lime Kiln Middle School

  • Montgomery County

    Sara Giron
    Earle B. Wood Middle School

  • Prince George's County

    Amber Heller
    Oxon Hill High School

  • Queen Anne's County

    Thomas Hayman
    Centreville Middle School

  • St. Mary's County

    Leif Liberg
    St. Mary’s Ryken High School

  • Somerset County

    Randi Merritt
    Somerset Intermediate School

  • Talbot County

    Katie Southworth
    St. Michael’s Middle/High School

  • Washington County

    Timothy Ackinclose
    Clear Spring Middle School

2022 Special Prize Winners

  • Special Prize for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture

    Little Rock Nine
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Students: Shamaya Allwood, Aidan Hortman, Favor Okunola, Oluwalonimi Okuwa, and Steven Santos
    School: Kenmoor Middle School
    Teacher: Carol Carter and Irene Prescott

    African American Hair: National History Day
    Category: Senior Group Documentary
    Students: Bruce Abrams , Christian Brown, An’Jewel Bullock, Asia Burnham, and Ja’von Gill
    School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
    Teacher: Patrice Frasier

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

    Lincoln-Douglas Debates
    Category: Junior Group Website
    Students: Gabriella Frye and Victoria Thomas
    School: St. Mary’s Bryantown
    Teacher: Christopher Hayes

    The General Debate of The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Liam Barnes
    School: Fort Hill High School
    Teacher: Mark Malone

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

    The First Opium War
    Category: Senior Group Website
    Students: Derrell Johnson, Sean Touhey, and Colin Xiao
    School: South Hagerstown High School
    Teacher: Jason Kamler

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

    The Indian Salt March: The First Step to Independence
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Nadia Bandy
    School: Julius West Middle School
    Teacher: Alba Abrego

    “Self Determination without Termination”
    Category: Senior Individual Website
    Student: Sumiya Rahaman
    School: Westminster High School
    Teacher: Stacey Gruber

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

    The Politics and Debate of the Partition of India and the Modern Day Repercussions
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Zara Ahmad
    School: Northern Middle School
    Teacher: Devin Page

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

    Cesar Chavez and United Farm Workers
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Carlo Riano
    School: Plum Point Middle School
    Teacher: Aaron Tagert

    Bread and Roses: The Lasting Achievements of Lawrence Mill Strikers
    Category: Senior Group Website
    Students: Milan Ta and Claire Williams
    School: Reservoir High School
    Teacher: Jennifer Coker

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

    Navajo Code Talkers
    Category: Junior Group Website
    Students: Juliann Cook and Elizabeth Darling
    School: Centreville Middle School
    Teacher: Thomas Hayman

    Phishing for the Truth: The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Aleah Dinmore
    School: Arundel High School
    Teacher: Michael Yuscavage

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

    Ceasing Spirits: How George Washington’s Audacious Authority and Precocious Thinking Brought the Whiskey Rebellion to an End
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Piper King
    School: Centreville Middle School
    Teacher: Renia Gray

    Diplomacy, Politics, and The Evian Conference of 1938
    Category: Senior Paper
    Student: Sara Weinstein
    School: Walter Johnson High School
    Teacher: Elizabeth Kelley

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

    The Space Race: The Fight for The Moon
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Aleina Pulim
    School: Clarksville Middle School
    Teacher: Margaret Brothman, Beth Ceglia, and Catherine Mairs

    The Oil Crisis of 1973: How Diplomacy Was Able to End the Worst Oil Crisis of the 20th Century
    Category: Senior Individual Website
    Student: Charlie Butler
    School: Mount Saint Joseph High School
    Teacher: Ryan Folmer

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

    Laws of Conscience vs. Laws of Government: The Debate Over the Catonsville 9
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Charlotte O. Subelsky
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

    Debate and Diplomacy: Chesapeake Bay Bridge
    Category: Junior Individual Documentary
    Student: Jonah Kadlec
    School: St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School
    Teacher: Tracy Alexander

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

    Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: Scientific Diplomacy Amidst the Cold War
    Category: Senior Group Website
    Students: William Lin, Heleeben Patel, and Ella Roberts
    School: Western School of Technology
    Teacher: Christopher Pagliarini

  • Award for Excellence in the Study of Peace and Non-Violence, sponsored by Maryland Humanities

    The European Coal and Steel Community — How the European Union Began, and the Benefits of Diplomacy
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Samuel Richardson
    School: Northern Middle School
    Teacher: Devin Page

    Oslo: A Dream of Peace
    Category: Senior Individual Documentary
    Student: Leland Courie
    School: North Caroline High School
    Teacher: Andrew Buffenmyer

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

    The U.S. Opposition of the Kyoto Protocol; Nations Divided
    Category: Junior Group Website
    Students: Noah Jacobson and Colin Lilley
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

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

    Roe v. Wade: The Debate That Changed History
    Category: Junior Group Website
    Students: Shriya Khosla, Leilani Ryang, and Phu Tran
    School: Lime Kiln Middle School
    Teacher: Tracy Spillman and Gary McMullin

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

    Fannie Lou Hamer Civil Rights Acts
    Category: Senior Individual Website
    Student: Micah Carroll
    School: Parkdale High School
    Teacher: Thomas Stavely

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

    Makah Tribe’s Fight to Reclaim Their Whaling Tradition
    Category: Junior Individual Website
    Student: Bianca Crainiceanu
    School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
    Teacher: Allisun Thompson

    Little Crow To Lincoln: The Failure of Debate and Diplomacy To Mend Broken Promises Between the Sioux and The US Government
    Category: Senior Individual Documentary
    Student: Liam Grogan
    School: Frederick Homeschoolers
    Teacher: Sofia Grogan

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

    The 13th Amendment: Negotiating Freedom
    Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
    Student: Danica Mehl
    School: Mill Creek Middle School
    Teacher: Jacqueline Hall

    Marbury v. Madison
    Category: Senior Group Exhibit
    Students: Jacob Hauk and Aidan Sachs
    School: Loyola Blakefield
    Teacher: Samuel Manelski

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

    The Lavender Scare: A Breakthrough in the Gay Rights Movement 
    Category: Junior Paper
    Student: Haoyan Zhu
    School: Sykesville Middle School
    Teacher: Amber Nievod

    The Stonewall Riots: The Fight For Gay Rights 
    Category: Senior Group Website
    Students: Yesenia Cazares Lucero and Madelin Salamanca
    School: Bladensburg High School
    Teacher: Jennie Schindler

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

    “History By The Fire: One Hour From Disaster, Debate And Diplomacy During The Cuban Missile Crisis”
    Category: Junior Group Documentary
    Students: Sean Donlon, Ilan Shterenberg, and Nathan Yu
    School: Hallie Wells Middle School
    Teacher: Judy Zangrilli

    The Cuban Missile Crisis: How Diplomacy Avoids Disaster  
    Category: Senior Group Website
    Students: Brayden Spurgeon and Anthony Tozzi
    School: Mount Saint Joseph High School
    Teacher: Ryan Folmer

  • “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

  • “History Day inspired me to become deeply invested in historical topics which I never thought I’d enjoy. It is an amazing experience that has the ability to make learning fun for everyone, no matter what you’re interested in.”

    Addie Skillman, National History Day Gold Winner

  • “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

  • “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

  • “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

  • “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

  • “I had never done anything like this before so it was a totally new experience to write a paper, be interviewed, and defend my positions. I now really know how to do research and it has improved my writing skills.”

    ​Maryland History Day 2015 Student

  • “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 researching and communicating skills have made me a more confident person in all academic endeavors. These are skills that will last me a lifetime.”

    ​Maryland History Day student participant

  • “Maryland History Day challenged my daughter to go deeper, deeper in research analysis and presentation. It took her to a whole new level academically.”

    ​Maryland History Day parent

  • “[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

  • “I had never done anything like this before so it was a totally new experience to write a paper, be interviewed, and defend my positions. I now really know how to do research and it has improved my writing skills.”

    ​Maryland History Day student

  • “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

  • “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
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