Craig Irish

2026 NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest Finalists

March 20, 2026 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

After months of intensive research by students and careful review by judges, the results of the 2026 NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest are in! Twelve Junior Division and twelve Senior Division finalists have been selected to advance to the 2026 National History Day California (NHD-CA) State Contest, scheduled for May 1-3, 2026, at Sacramento State University.

Over 223 papers from 19 counties were submitted in this year's contest on the theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.

Historical Paper - State Finalists

State Finalist advance to the NHD-CA State Competition.

Junior Division State Finalists

Senior Division State Finalists

Historical Paper - Honorable Mention

Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.

Junior Division Honorable Mention

Senior Division Honorable Mention

2025 California National Contest Champions Announced

June 12, 2025 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

MARYLAND – June 12, 2025 -- Ten California entries receive top honors at the 51st Annual National History Day Contest held at the University of Maryland College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C. area June 8-12. In addition, six California entries were named finalists, six received honorable mention, two entries were named Outstanding In State, and three entries were selected for a special award.

More than 2,800 students from 50 states and 3 international affiliates participated in the contest. $150,000 in scholarships are awarded at the awards ceremony, and approximately 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $5,000 for superior work in a particular category of judging.

National Contest - Team California Results

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS - MEDALISTS
The following entries were recognized as overall 1^st- 3^rd place winners of NHD.

1^st Place – Junior Individual Exhibit: Alekha Goldberg
Peak to Peak Mountain Charter School, Kern County. Teacher – Elaine Salmon
Title: Returning Blue Lake: The Confluence of Rights, Responsibilities & Social Justice

1^st Place – Junior Group Website: Shawn Castrapel & Max Castrapel
Sierra Vista Middle School. Orange County. Teachers – Lianne Linck & Jonathan Millers
Title: Rights and Responsibilities: The Hetch Hetchy Dam and Its Environmental Impact

1^st Place – Senior Individual Exhibit: Samantha Bailey
Orange County School of the Arts. Orange County. Teacher – Lana Sawalha
Title: Forbidden to Fundamental: Perez v. Sharp's Defense of Marriage Rights and Call for Constitutional Responsibility

1^st Place – Senior Historical Paper: Ryka Chopra
Mission San Jose High School, Alameda County. Teacher – Keith Kottenback
Title: Daughters of the Pyre: Sati Abolition - Rights, Responsibilities, and a Reluctant Reform in Colonial India

2^nd Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Manting Wang, Christy Lieu, Katharine Wu, & Vivi Zhong
Temple (Roger W.) Intermediate School, Los Angeles County. Teacher – Chuck Diep & Minh Anderson
Title: Denied Rights, Embraced Responsibility: The Displacement and Rebuilding of LA's Chinatown

2^nd Place – Junior Historical Paper: Jason Rong
The Nueva School, San Mateo County. Teachers – Cynthia Kosut
Title: The Attica Prison Uprising and Its Legacy: Rights and Responsibilities in the American Prison System

2^nd Place – Senior Group Website: Mark Blair, Krishna Kuruvadi, Eric Lillie
Francis Parker School, San Diego County. Teacher(s) – Karishma Sinnott, Joseph Kurz, Emma Neil, Mary Ong-Dean, Kate Klemchuk, & Rob Campbell
Title: From Sovereignty to Exile: The Forgone Rights of the Cherokee and the Abandoned Responsibilities of the U.S. Government

3^rd Place – Junior Group Website: Christine Jeon, Joseph Featherstone
Sierra Vista Middle School. Orange County. Teachers – Lianne Linck & Jonathan Millers
Title: The Thalidomide Tragedy: Rights of Consumers’ Healthcare and Responsibilities of the Manufacturer

3^rd Place – Senior Individual Documentary: William Gao
Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego County. Teacher – Nicole Baker
Title: The Fall and Rise of Mono Lake: The Public Trust Doctrine’s Water Revolution

3^rd Place – Senior Individual Exhibit: Emily Yi
Orange County School of the Arts, Orange County. Teacher – Lana Sawalha
Title: Legacy of Betrayal and Medical Immorality: The Rights, Responsibilities, and Redemption of Tuskegee

CONTEST FINALIST
The following entries were 1^st in preliminary judging heats and advanced to final round judging.

5^th Place – Junior Group Documentary: Poiema Bernier, Rebekah Miller, Lucas Menendez, & Enoch Wu
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Orange County. Teachers – Karen Kayekjian, Carolin Menendez, & Jessica Bernier
Title: The Right to Stay: Doss v Bernal Dismantling Housing Segregation

5^th Place – Junior Individual Performance: Aria Yatavelli
Santiago Hills Elementary School. Orange County. Teacher – Katie Gray
Title: Phone Booths to Smartphones: Rights and Responsibilities from Katz to the Digital Age

5^th Place – Senior Group Performance: Piper Allen, Mason Pitcher, Kyle Mrkaich, Selena Wall, & Daniel Green
Edison High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Gary Mrkaich
Title: Today Is My Death Day

5^th Place – Senior Individual Website: Anna Cao
Northwood High School, Orange County. Teacher – Deanna Myers
Title: The Nuremberg Code: Shaping Human Rights and Responsibilities in Medical Research

8^th Place – Senior Individual Documentary: Kayla Ling
The Nueva School, San Mateo County. Teachers – Nellie Ling & Cynthia Kosut
Title: The Most Loyal "Traitors:" How the Nisei Soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion & 442nd RCT Fought to Protect America and to Free Their Families at Home

9^th Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Emily Huynh & Ellie Huynh
Fruitvale Junior High School, Kern County. Teachers – Zachary Kolb
Title: The HOPE Act's Promise: Rights and Responsibilities

HONORABLE MENTION
Received 2^nd place in preliminary judging room.

Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Emery Penaloza
Norris Middle School, Kern County. Teacher – Lora Penaloza
Title: Injustice Interned: Sacrificing Civil Rights for National Security

Honorable Mention – Junior Group Performance: Julie Montiel, Viviann Rodriguez, Isaac Enriquez Cervantes, Allison Gonzalez, & Vanessa Beltran
Ray Wiltsey Middle School, San Bernardino County. Teachers – Angela Stephens, Kandyce Valverde, Vanessa Roman, & Amanda Populus
Title: Tinker vs Des Moines: How the Ants Marched Towards Freedom of Speech

Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Performance: Akshita Saravana
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Riverside County. Teacher – Sara Hester
Title: Sati: A Widow's Right to Live, Society's Responsibility to Protect

Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Website: Vinay Rao
Sierra Madre Middle School, Los Angeles County. Teacher – Julie Martinez & Lisabet Nepf
Title: "Bad Blood": Rights and Responsibilities following the Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Honorable Mention – Senior Group Documentary: Renee Chu & Jollyn Gunardi
South San Francisco High, San Mateo County. Teachers – Rhonda Clements, Kimberly Chin, Kyle Killeen, Laurel Dearborn, & Sharon Celillo
Title: Prescribing a Nightmare: Thalidomide's Wake Up Call for Global Regulation

Honorable Mention – Senior Group Exhibit: Augusta Chen & Felix Chen
The Harker School, Santa Clara. Teachers – Byron Stevens & Ramsay WestgateTitle: Should I Sacrifice to Live Half American?: The Double V Campaign and the African-American Struggle for Rights through Responsibility during World War II

LATINO AMERICAN HISTORY SPECIAL AWARD

Junior Group Documentary: Poiema Bernier, Rebekah Miller, Lucas Menendez, & Enoch Wu
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Orange County. Teachers – Karen Kayekjian, Carolin Menendez, & Jessica Bernier
Title: The Right to Stay: Doss v Bernal Dismantling Housing Segregation

IRISH OR IRISH-AMERICAN HISTORY SPECIAL AWARD

Senior Individual Performance: Zachary Sinha
The Cambridge School, San Diego County. Teacher – Cherie Redelings
Title: From Language Revival to Irish Nationalism: The Gaelic League and the Responsibility to Fight for Cultural and Political Rights

Senior Historical Paper: Rahul Sundaresan
The Harker School, Santa Clara County. Teachers – Byron Stevens & Ramsay Westgate
Title: Rights vs. Responsibilities: The Irish Nationalists of the RIC in the War for Independence

OUTSTANDING IN STATE

Junior Individual Exhibit: Georgia Nunez-Corvera
Sierra Middle School, Riverside County. Teacher – Edwin Rumsey
Title: Sunny Days: Sesame Street’s Fight for Educational Rights, Equality, and Media Responsibilit

Senior Group Performance: Piper Allen, Mason Pitcher, Kyle Mrkaich, Selena Wall, & Daniel Green
Edison High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Gary Mrkaich
Title: Today Is My Death Day

NATIONAL HISTORY ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP

Senior Individual Exhibit: Samantha Bailey
Orange County School of the Arts. Orange County. Teacher – Lana Sawalha
Title: Forbidden to Fundamental: Perez v. Sharp's Defense of Marriage Rights and Call for Constitutional Responsibility

National History Day – California Honors Janet Mulder with Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

May 9, 2025 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

National History Day – California proudly announces the presentation of the first-ever Janet Mulder Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring its namesake, Janet Mulder, for her exceptional and enduring contributions to history education and student development.

The award was presented during the annual state competition awards ceremony, recognizing Mrs. Mulder's lifelong dedication to inspiring students, nurturing a passion for history, and shaping generations of young minds through her work with National History Day.

"Janet Mulder's commitment has left an indelible mark not only on the National History Day community, but on thousands of students whose lives she has touched,"

said Whitney Olson, California History Day Coordinator. "Her legacy continues in every curious mind and confident voice she has helped to cultivate."

This new Lifetime Achievement Award will serve as a lasting tribute to Mrs. Mulder's profound impact, ensuring her inspirational story continues to guide and uplift educators and students across California for years to come.

2025 NHD-CA Champions Announced

May 4, 2025 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Sacramento on Sunday, May 4th at California State University Sacramento, concluding the 2025 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,500 students participated, coming from 248 schools across 25 counties. Sixty-seven students will represent California at the National History Day competition taking place in College Park, Maryland June 8-12, 2025.

Contest Photos

Click here to view photos from the NHD-CA Contest.

Contest Winners

"Champions" in the Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, Historical Paper, & Website categories advance to the National History Day contest in June.

Elementary Division Champions & Runners Up

Junior Division Champions & Runners Up

Senior Division Champions & Runners Up

Special Award Winners

Contest Finalists

Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.

Junior Division Finalists

Senior Division Finalists

CA Nominees for the "Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year" Award

Two educators from California have been nominated for the prestigious “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award, a national honor for teachers who engage History Day students through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. The winners will be announced during the National History Day awards ceremony. California’s nominees are:

Deanna Myers
Northwood High School, Orange County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12)

Angela Stephens
Ray Wiltsey Middle School, San Bernardino County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)

2025 NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest Finalists

March 20, 2025 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

After months of intensive research by students and careful review by judges, the results of the 2025 NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest are in! Twelve Junior Division and twelve Senior Division finalists have been selected to advance to the 2025 National History Day California (NHD-CA) State Contest, scheduled for May 2-4, 2025, at Sacramento State University.

Over 220 papers from 19 counties were submitted in this year's contest on the theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History.

Historical Paper - State Finalists

State Finalist advance to the NHD-CA State Competition.

Junior Division State Finalists

Senior Division State Finalists

Historical Paper - Honorable Mention

Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.

Junior Division Honorable Mention

Senior Division Honorable Mention

2024-25 Theme Webinar

September 16, 2024 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

Watch the NHD-CA Theme Webinar!

Watch the recording of this year's webinar to explore the Rights & Responsibilities in History theme!

One you register, you will be provided the link for the recording and additional materials.

Learn more about this years theme

Historical Paper Contest

July 27, 2024 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

CHANGES TO HISTORICAL PAPER CATEGORY

Beginning with contests in 2024, registration and submission of all historical papers will follow a different format from all other categories.

Historical papers will not compete at county contests. Instead, papers will be directly submitted to the state contest by your teacher. Each school will be allowed to submit up to 3 papers.

Learn More

2024 California National Contest Champions Announced

June 13, 2024 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

MARYLAND – June 13, 2024 -- Eight California entries were named national champions at the 50th Annual National History Day Contest held at the University of Maryland College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C. area June 9-13. In addition, eight California entries were named finalists, seven received honorable mention, two entries were named Outstanding In State, and one entry was selected for a special award.

More than 2,600 students from 50 states and 3 international affiliates participated in the contest. $150,000 in scholarships are awarded at the awards ceremony, and approximately 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $5,000 for superior work in a particular category of judging.

View contest photos here

Teacher Awards

Aditi Doshi from Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles County was selected as the winner of the 2024 NHD Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for the Senior Division. Aditi was selected from a pool of 54 nominees and will receive a $10,000 prize.

Chuck Diep from Roger Temple Intermediate School in Los Angeles County was honored as a California nominee for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Junior Division and will receive a $500 prize.

The Patricia Behring National History Day Teacher of the Year Award honors teachers who engage History Day students in historical thinking through innovative teaching and active learning strategies.

National Contest - Team California Results

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS - MEDALISTS
The following entries were recognized as overall 1^st- 3^rd place winners of NHD.

1^st Place – Junior Group Documentary: Poiema Bernier, Lucas Menendez
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Orange County. Teacher – Karen Kayekjian & Noemi Quinones
Title – Rising from the Ashes: The Cuyahoga River a Turning Point in American Environmental Policy

1^st Place – Senior Group Exhibit: Emily Yi, Samantha Bailey
Orange County School of the Arts, Orange County. Teacher – Lana Sawalha
Title – Nauseating a Nation: How the Jungle Turned the Stomach of America into Legislation

1^st Place –Senior Individual Performance: Supriti Bhopale
Carlmont High School, San Mateo County. Teacher – Greg Schoenstein
Title – Satyagraha: King's Embrace of Nonviolence Becomes a Turning Point in the Civil Rights Struggle

2^nd Place – Junior Individual Performance: Audrey Kim
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – MacArthur’s Bold Gambit: How Operation Chromite Became a Pivotal Turning Point in the Korean War and Shaped NATO's Inception

2^nd Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Emily Huang, Megan Phan, Hilary Hung
Roger W. Temple Intermediate School, Los Angeles County. Teacher –Chuck Diep
Title – “To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop”: Turning the Tables on Music History

2^nd Place – Senior Group Website: Adviti Aleti, Stuthi Kandula
Dougherty Valley High School, Contra Costa County. Teacher – Andrew Wengel
Title – The Pentagon Papers: A Turning Point in Public Perception & Press

3^rd Place – Senior Historical Paper: Aaron Widjaja
Menlo School, San Mateo County. Teacher – Franco Cruz-Ochoa
Title – The Golden Age of Buddhism: How Imperial Patronage in the Early Tang Dynasty Fueled Buddhism’s Ascendency in China

3^rd Place – Senior Individual Documentary: Harmony Yan-Li
Irvine High School, Orange County. Teacher – Jennifer Harrington
Title – Turning Points in History: Frances Kelsey and the Thalidomide Scandal

CONTEST FINALIST
The following entries were 1^st in preliminary judging heats and advanced to final round judging.

4^th Place – Junior Individual Exhibit: Yesha Gupta
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – When the Computer Wore a Skirt: Christine Darden

5^th Place – Senior Group Performance: Matthew Pitcher Cate, Chielpegian, Violet Mack, Mason Pitcher, Kyle Mrkaich
Edison High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Gary Mrkaich
Title – Abortion: A Turning Point Consequence Far Greater than the Slaughter of the Innocents

5^th Place – Senior Group Documentary: Selah El Issa, Jimena Romero
Sanger High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Austin Rurik
Title – Forging a Superpower: How the Truman Doctrine Defined a Legacy

6^th Place – Junior Historical Paper: Augusta Chen
The Harker School, Santa Clara County. Teacher – Ramsay Westgate
Title – Women Where They Belong: Title IX as a Turning Point for Girls and Women in American Sports and Society

6^th Place – Senior Individual Exhibit: Felix Chen
The Harker School, Santa Clara County. Teacher – Byron Stevens
Title – “The Very Bulwark of our Republic”: The Common School Movement as a Turning Point in American History

7^th Place – Junior Individual Exhibit: Henry Wiechmann
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – East L.A. Walkouts: Launching a Movement

7^th Place – Junior Group Website: Shreya Hegde, Christine Jeon
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – A Turning Point in Immigration: How the Transcontinental Railroad Affected the Chinese

8^th Place – Junior Group Website: Shawn Castrapel, Saanvi Chaparala, Sanay Chaparala, Daniel Cheng, Crystal Zhou
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – A Turning Point to Co-existence: How Silent Spring Led to the Reevaluation of Humanity's Relationship with the Environment

HONORABLE MENTION
Received 2^nd place in preliminary judging room.

Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Mahima Wuppalapati
Beacon Park K-8 School, Orange County. Teacher – Christina Ralston
Title – Beyond the Scalpel: Laparoscopic Surgery and Its Revolutionary Impact on Modern Medicine

Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Vincent Tang
El Cerrito Middle School, Riverside County. Teacher – Steven Case
Title – The Game Changer: Marvin Miller | Turning Point in Labor-Management Relations

Honorable Mention – Junior Group Exhibit: Haidar Alkhafaf, Michael Wang
Sierra Vista Middle School. Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – Newlands Resolution: The Road to American Imperialism; A Political Economic and Cultural Turning Point

Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Documentary: Felix Potter
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside County. Teacher – Kevin LeDuc
Title – Christine Jorgensen: A Forgotten Turning Point in Transgender History

Honorable Mention – Senior Group Performance: Dzifa Ackuayi, Saloni Bansal, Harman Chahal, Eve Youkana
Modesto High School, Stanislaus County. Teacher – David Tanaka
Title – Jacob Riis: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Exhibit: Jocelyn Hanson
Clovis West High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Andy McElroy & Gabe Calderon
Title – Theodore Judah and the Transcontinental Railroad: A Turning Point in Transportation

Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Website: Ariel Liu
Dougherty Valley High School, Contra Costa County. Teacher – Andrew Wengel
Title – Citizenship by Birth - United States v. Wong Kim Ark

LATINO AMERICAN HISTORY SPECIAL AWARD

Junior Individual Exhibit: Henry Wiechmann
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – East L.A. Walkouts: Launching a Movement

OUTSTANDING IN STATE

Outstanding in State Senior Division– Senior Group Performance
Dzifa Ackuayi, Saloni Bansal, Harman Chahal, Eve Youkana
Modesto High School, Stanislaus County. Teacher – David Tanaka
Title – Jacob Riis: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Outstanding in State Junior Division – Junior Group Performance
Gia Bui, Cristal Caro, Viv Vazquez, Giselle Padilla
Ray Wiltsey Middle School. San Bernardino County. Teacher – Angela Stephens & Vanessa Roman
Title – Institut National de Juenes Sourds de Paris: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

2024 NHD-CA Champions Announced

April 23, 2024 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Sacramento on Sunday, April 21st at California State University Sacramento, concluding the 2024 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,500 students participated, coming from 248 schools across 25 counties. Sixty-seven students will represent California at the National History Day competition taking place in College Park, Maryland June 9-13, 2024.

Contest Photos

Click here to view photos from the NHD-CA Contest.

Contest Winners

"Champions" in the Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, Historical Paper, & Website categories advance to the National History Day contest in June.

Elementary Division Champions & Runners Up

Junior Division Champions & Runners Up

Senior Division Champions & Runners Up

Special Award Winners

Contest Finalists

Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.

Junior Division Finalists

Senior Division Finalists

CA Nominees for the "Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year" Award

Aditi Doshi
Van Nuys High School, Los Angeles County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12)

Chuck Diep
Roger W. Temple Intermediate School, Los Angeles County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)

Make It! Webinar Series

August 15, 2023 by Craig Irish Leave a Comment

Watch the Recordings

History Day projects require students to use research, analysis, and historical thinking skills. Join us for this free, multi-part webinar series to introduce these skills to students and share tips on how to research and develop History Day projects.

Research questions
Primary & Secondary Sources and How to Use Them
Crafting Compelling Thesis Statements
Deconstructing a Project: Voice, Evidence, Organization
How to Show Historical Significance
Reviewing the Required Elements of a NHD Project

To watch the recordings, register here.

This webinar series is free and open to teachers, students, and parents.

Presenter Anne Olson - Instructional Coach, Sequoia Union High School District, member NHD-CA Leadership Team, NHD Alumni

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