On June 9–13, 59 Utah students competed in the 50th Annual National History Day Contest in Washington, D.C. During the week-long competition, Utah students presented their work to judges and peers, visited historic sites, explored museums, met with Senator Mitt Romney (pictured above), heard a special presentation from American filmmaker Ken Burns (watch here), and more in our nation’s capitol city. It was a great, exciting week of watching these young historians appreciate history and consider its impact on the present and future.
Our Utah national team was made up of students from grades 6–12, representing 17 schools from 14 cities. They competed alongside 2,849 students from 54 state, territorial, and international affiliates. We are thrilled to announce four Utah projects were finalists in their categories, placing them in the top 10 in the world. See more results and highlights from the NHD National Contest below. Congratulations to all of our National History Day in Utah students for their hard work, dedication, and passion for history.
Top 10 Entries
Third Place Medalist – Katelyn Jorgensen from Orem, for her Junior Individual Performance, “D-O-N-E: A Turning Point in History: The First Transcontinental Railroad.”
Finalist – Noah Millington from Saratoga Springs, for his Senior Individual Performance, “Turning Two Worlds Toward a Brighter Future with the 1858 Transatlantic Telegraph Cable.”
Finalist – Cyan Schatz from Ogden, for her Senior Individual Website, “Impressionism: Tradition to Innovation.”
Finalist – Maylan Jessop, Micah Tien, Anhkhoa Le, Mindy Phan from Salt Lake City for their Senior Group Website, “The Nuremburg Trials.”
Outstanding Affiliate Entry Award Winners
Junior Outstanding Affiliate Entry – Claire Hinton from Alpine, for her Junior Individual Performance, “Virginia Hall: The Unheralded Heroine of World War II.”
Senior Outstanding Affiliate Entry – Maylan Jessop, Micah Tien, Anhkhoa Le, Mindy Phan from Salt Lake City for their Senior Group Website, “The Nuremburg Trials.”
Honorable Mention Entries
Rachel Winkler from Logan, for her Junior Individual Exhibit, “Razzle Dazzle Camouflage: How an Optical Illusion Saved Britain.”
Regan Willey and Savannah Moore from West Valley City, for their Senior Group Exhibit, “Penicillin: The Wonder Drug.”
Claire Hinton from Alpine, for her Junior Individual Performance, “Virginia Hall: The Unheralded Heroine of World War II.”
National History Day Smithsonian Showcase
On June 12, two Utah projects were showcased at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. as part of the NHD Smithsonian Showcase. Fifty-one students’ exhibits were displayed at the museum on topics ranging from the inclusion of women in the Olympics to the Battle of Midway.
Annie Johnson from Kaysville, with her exhibit, “The Winter War: A Turning Point in History.”
Macy Huish from Logan, with her performance, “Elizabeth Packard and the Rise of the Oppressed: Turning Points in Married Women’s and Insane Asylum Patients’ Rights.”
NHD Utah Students Met Senator Mitt Romney
Our NHD Utah students had the opportunity to visit the United States Capitol and meet Senator Mitt Romney. Special thank you to Senator Romney and his team for the tour, conversation, and overall experience.
About NHD Utah | National History Day® in Utah is a year-round history education program serving 4th-12th grade students statewide. Through NHD, students learn history by doing history. Learn more about NHD Utah at history.utah.gov/utah-history-day. Thank you to our NHD Utah donors: Utah Humanities, Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, and the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement.