NASHVILLE, Tenn. – At the 2022 National History Day competition, 21 Tennessee students’ group or individual projects earned recognition including three medals, one special award, four category finalists, two outstanding projects from Tennessee and six honorable mentions.
National History Day allows students to showcase their creativity and research skills by developing documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances or websites with historical themes. The theme of this year’s contest was Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.
The 2022 National History Day honorees from Tennessee are:
3rd Place and Next Generation Angels Award from the Better Angels Society Recipient
Jessie Henderson
Senior Individual Documentary: More Than Potatoes: Debate and Diplomacy in the Mission of the USS Jamestown
Bradley Central High School, Cleveland
Educator: Julie Mitchell
American Labor History Award from the American Labor Studies Center and 7th Place
Harlie Grenead and Catherine Whelchel
Senior Group Documentary: Monster in the Bullpen: How a Small Strike Led to the Labor Union Debate in the Trial of the Century
Spring Hill High School, Columbia
Educator: Dr. Scott Johnson
6th Place and Outstanding Affiliate Award, Senior Division
Elizabeth Suters
Senior Individual Documentary: A Crime Without a Name: Raphael Lemkin’s Crusade for the International Criminalization of Genocide
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville
Educator: Derek Griffin
9th Place
Rebecah Gokee and Sara Grippo
Senior Group Performance: The Presidentress: Sarah Polk’s Feminine Political Agenda
HUB Homeschool Co-Op, Columbia
Educator: Kaley Hunter
Honorable Mention and Outstanding Affiliate Award, Junior Division
Rukaia Barrouk and Maymuna Faqih
Junior Group Website: Debates over the Indian Removal Act: Failed Diplomacy and Devastation for the Cherokee People
Pleasant View School, Memphis
Educator: Andre Clark
Honorable Mention
Cotton Snoddy
Senior Individual Paper: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…”? The Debate Regarding Jewish Holocaust Refugees to the United States
McCallie School, Chattanooga
Educator: Duke Richey
Honorable Mention
Dany Hamze, Evan Lewellyn, Hayley McManic, Malaika Kumar and Risha Manga
Senior Group Performance: 444 Days
Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis
Educator: Amber Colvin
Honorable Mention
Suha Faruk
Senior Individual Website: Disaster and Diplomacy: The Cuban Missile Crisis
Pleasant View School, Memphis
Educator: Zemen Chali
Honorable Mention
Fayadh Chowdhury, Ibrahim Boudaoud and Ibrahim Malik
Senior Group Website: Too Many Allies Spoil the Pot: The Diplomatic Failure of the Potsdam Conference
Pleasant View School, Memphis
Educator: Andre Clark
Honorable Mention
Eleanor Dildine, Lauren Huie and Avery Nelson
Junior Group Performance: Two Women’s Fight for Equal Rights: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville
Educator: Liz Shugart
Two Tennessee educators were nominated for the 2022 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Awards. Tabitha Wilson of Richview Middle School in Clarksville was the Junior Division nominee, and Hillery Griffin of Cosby High School in Cosby was the Senior Division nominee.
Sixty-one Tennessee middle and high school students earned the right to compete in the 2022 National History Day competition after competing in the statewide Tennessee History Day competition. Tennessee History Day is organized by the Tennessee Historical Society and co-sponsored by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and Humanities Tennessee.
“Congratulations to these outstanding students for representing Tennessee so well,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “I commend them on their talent and hard work. I know the knowledge and skills they developed by participating in History Day will serve them now and in the future.”
During the 2022 National History Day virtual competition, students enjoyed various online activities, including a scavenger hunt, sock-hop with live D.J., educational webinars, a trivia contest and virtual tours of Washington, D.C. museums. Teachers also had opportunities to attend online professional development.
“Our outstanding performance this year is a direct result of the many hours of hard work the students invested in their research,” said Tennessee History Day coordinator Nikki Ward. “The History Day competition cycle allows the students to revise their projects based on feedback from the judges. Our students continued to work on their entries even after school ended for the semester, and their efforts were rewarded.”
At the end of the National History Day competition, Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn announced the 2023 National History Day theme: Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas, and plans for National History Day’s 50th anniversary in 2024.
“The third time is a charm, but we are confident that this was our last virtual National Contest,” said Dr. Gorn. “We know the many challenges that students and teachers faced again this year, but we are so amazed that they remained so engaged with learning and discovering the past. I congratulate all of this year’s National History Day participants.”
Students and teachers begin work on the yearlong National History Day curriculum each fall. Starting with competitions held in individual schools, the winners advance to the district, state and national competitions. Nationwide, the History Day program includes more than a half-million students annually from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa and Department of Defense Schools. This year, approximately 7,500 students across Tennessee participated in the program.
For more information about National History Day or Tennessee History Day, visit tennesseehistory.org/tennessee-history-day.