Mississippi Students Succeed at National History Day

A group of Mississippi students have returned home winners after presenting their projects in the National History Day (NHD) competition in College Park, Maryland.

NHD’s National Contest is the culmination of the annual competition cycle for students who have competed on the local and state levels. This year’s theme was “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Seventeen Mississippi students participated on the national level. Each year, the event draws nearly 3,000 students from the U.S. and abroad. 

Catherine Shao, a student at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, placed fifth internationally for her Senior Paper, “A Revolution Behind-the-Scenes: Manufacturing Outsourcing, Deregulation, and the Pathway to U.S.-Led Economic Globalization in the Crisis-Ridden 1970s.” 

Daniel Hu, also a student at MSMS, won the Asian American History Award, sponsored by the National Park Service, for his Senior Paper, “The Flames of Los Angeles.” 

Shao’s Senior Paper also won the Outstanding Affiliate Award for Mississippi, along with Armstrong Junior High School student Aiden Rhee’s project in the Junior Individual Website category: “The Railroad: An Influential Asset During the Civil War.”  

Maggie Brown, a student from Hernando High School, was selected to showcase her Senior Individual Exhibit, “The Assassination of Julius Caesar,” at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Brown’s project was one of 48 exhibits chosen. 

Mississippi History Day, the NHD local affiliate, held its competition in April at the Two Mississippi Museums. 

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. Established in 1974, the National History Day Contest engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, The Better Angels Society, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.   

MDAH was founded in 1902 to collect, preserve, and provide access to the archival resources of the state. The commitment to preservation continues today through the work of the department’s five divisions. By preserving Mississippi’s diverse historic resources and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires the discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future.