Secretary Detzner Announces Winners of the 2015 Florida History Fair

Outstanding students and teachers from across the state recognized and presented with awards

TALLAHASSEE –

The Museum of Florida History is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Florida History Fair contest held in Tallahassee May 3–5. More than 60,000 students from around Florida participated in Florida History Fair this year and the top entries from each county competed at the state contest. At the event outstanding history teachers from across the state were also recognized and presented with awards.

“These young historians spend hours researching these topics and their presentations are remarkable,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Every year I am amazed by their creativity, dedication, and passion for history. These students are shining examples of the young talent in Florida schools and I couldn’t be more proud to have them represent Florida at the National History Day contest.

“I’d also like to thank the dedicated teachers honored with awards this year. It is their passion that inspires students to learn more about history and participate in this history fair year after year.”

PHOTO: Students gather at the annual Florida History Fair. Additional pictures from the event can be found on the Florida History Fair’s Facebook page here.

More than 1,100 middle and high school students presented award-winning research in a variety of mediums including, documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances and websites. The top two placements of each category are invited to represent Florida at the National History Day contest in Washington, D.C. June 14–18.

 Listed below are the teachers and students who received awards. Statewide student winners are listed by county. A listing of statewide winners by award category is available on the Florida History Fair website here.

 TEACHER AWARD WINNERS:

 TEACHER OF MERIT AWARD

Ana Woodbrey, Hoover Middle School, Brevard County

Florida History Fair annually honors an educator with the Teacher of Merit Award for creative history teaching within and outside the classroom. To be eligible, a teacher must have at least three years of experience as an FHF participant. The prize is sponsored by Flagler College Tallahassee based at Tallahassee Community College.

 Mrs. Woodbrey teaches U.S. history and is the media specialist for the seventh and eighth grades. Her colleagues acknowledge that she is the reason that Hoover Middle School participates in the Florida History Fair and National History Day.

 MAYFLOWER OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD

David Hodgson, Shorecrest Preparatory School, Pinellas County

 The Mayflower Outstanding Teacher Award, sponsored by the Florida Society of Mayflower Descendants, honors an exceptional educator.

 Mr. Hodgson is a seventh-grade American History teacher at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg. During the last thirteen years, his students have performed well at the Florida History Fair state contest.

 PATRICIA BEHRING TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Terry Alexander, All Angels Academy, Miami-Dade County

 The Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award is given to an outstanding junior division and senior division National History Day educator. The recipient becomes Florida's nominee for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Awards presented at the national contest.

 Mrs. Alexander is the associate head of All Angels Academy in Miami Springs and teaches sixth- and eighth-grade world and U.S. history. She has used Florida History Fair in her classroom for nine years and has served as the Miami-Dade county coordinator throughout that time.

STATEWIDE STUDENT WINNERS BY COUNTY:

 Bay County

 Andrew Tinch, First Place, Junior Individual Documentary
The Baron of Rhythm: Count Basie's Leadership and Legacy in the Swing Era

Merritt Brown Middle School

Raneem Salman,Third Place, Senior Individual Documentary
Spy Princess: Noor Inayat Khan, An Unlikely Leader

Panama City Advanced School

 Sarah Huerta and Aria Delmar, Third Place, Senior Group Exhibit
“Get That Broad the Hell out of Here:” The Leadership and Legacy Dickey Chappelle in Combat Photo Journalism

Rutherford High School

 Hania Ikram, Shahd Mohamed and Sohila Elamir, Second Place, Junior Group Web Site
Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist: Nellie Bly

Panama City Advanced School

 Broward County

 Kaitlyn Seese and Amber Bhutta, First Place, Junior Group Documentary
J. Edgar Hoover: A Benevolent Dictator

American Heritage School Plantation

Elizabeth Garrison, Third Place, Senior Individual Performance
Married to Her Kingdom: The Legacy of Queen Elizabeth I

City/Pembroke Pines Charter High School

 Lorraine Angelakos, First Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Making a Splash Into Jacques Cousteau's Leadership and Legacy

Forest Glen Middle School

 Kayla Ruiz and Emme Ham, First Place, Junior Group Exhibit
90 Miles to Freedom

American Heritage School Plantation

 Morgan Mullings, Third Place, Senior Individual Exhibit
Sunny Days on Sesame Street

American Heritage School Plantation

 Anna Wilson, Erin Young and Lara Rifai, First Place, Senior Group Web Site
South Beach: Art Deco Reborn

American Heritage School Plantation

 Brianna Beach and Nicole Fairfoot, Third Place, Senior Group Web Site
A Transcending Transactivist: The Life and Legacy of Sylvia Rae Rivera

City/Pembroke Pines Charter High School

 Charlotte County

 Emily Shand, Third Place, Junior Individual Performance
Oskar Schindler: Legacy of Life

L. A. Ainger Middle School

 Duval County

 Grant de la Vasselais, Third Place, Senior Historical Paper
Justinian: The Last of the Roman Emperors—A Political, Legal and Religious Legacy

Stanton College Preparatory School

 Mustafa Kamal and Rohit Karnati, Second Place, Senior Group Documentary
Marie Curie: A Leader in Science and Society.

Stanton College Preparatory School

 Isabelle Origlio, Meghana Kopparthi and Ryleigh Taylor, Third Place, Junior Group Performance
Juliette Gordon Low: A Legacy of Leadership

James Weldon Johnson College Prepartory Middle School

 Margaret Lee, Third Place, Junior Individual Web Site
Henry Klutho Leads the Rebuilding of Jacksonville

James Weldon Johnson College Prepartory Middle School

Wilhelm Willie, First Place, Senior Individual Web Site
Fred Terman: The Father of Silicon Valley

Stanton College Preparatory School

 Victoria Mityul, Third Place, Senior Individual Website
Dali: Artistic Pioneer

Stanton College Preparatory School

 Escambia County

 Madison Mougey, Second Place, Senior Individual Exhibit
President Carter's Call to Action: Saving Silent Slaves

Pensacola Catholic High School

 Bryce Cox and Myles Herren, First Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Alfred Hitchcock: E-E-E Enter the World of Alfred Hitchcock, Master of Suspense, Leader of Suspense, Leader on Suspense Style and Legacy of Horror

East Hill Christian School

 Zofia Uszok, Second Place, Senior Individual Web Site
Florida's Legacy: Governor Reubin Askew's Leadership through the Golden Age

Pensacola High School

 Hernando County

 William Simone, Katelyn Harris, Priya Mohan and Paola Perez-Padilla, Second Place, Senior Group Performance
The Global Fight for Women's Education

Frank W. Springstead High School

 Leon County

 Jennifer Hoeflich, Second Place, Senior Historical Paper
Electrical Visionary: The Leadership and Legacy of Nikola Tesla

Lincoln High School

 Cattie Li, Third Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Red Cross Founder Henry Dunant: A Legacy of Compassion

Deerlake Middle School

 Achyuta Iyengar, Second Place, Senior Individual Documentary
Mahatma Gandhi: Leadership and Legacy

Lawton Chiles High School

 Olivia Saunders, Charitha Moparthy and Hana Kiros, Third Place, Senior Group Performance
Literary Leadership: The Legacy of Florida's First Newspaper

James Rickards High School

 Erica Silvey, Third Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Ludwig Guttman: Founder of the Paralympics

Cornerstone Learning Community

 Creed King, Townsend Porcher and Kate Powell, Second Place, Junior Group Exhibit
The Woman Who Redefined Man: Jane Goodall's Legacy of Science, Leadership, and Activism

Fairview Middle School

 Anna Kate Daunt and Andrew Daunt, First Place, Junior Group Web Site
William Wilberforce: The Humanitarian with Enduring Influence

Sacred Heart Home Educators

 Manatee County

 Hannah Arduini, First Place, Junior Historical Paper
Eleanor Roosevelt: The Legacy of Her Leadership in Human Rights
Carlos E. Haile Middle School

 Felicia May, First Place, Senior Historical Paper
Jane Addams and the Hull House: Providing Inspiration to Create Settlement Homes for People in Poverty.

State College of Florida Collegiate School

 Kaitlin Folsom, Second Place, Senior Individual Performance
John Lennon: Leadership and Legacy Through Imagining Peace

State College of Florida Collegiate School

 Zoe Zimmermann, Sara Sutton, Miranda Wolf and Abigail Zion, First Place, Senior Group Performance
WASP: Women in WWII
Manatee School For The Arts

 Orange County

 Hannah Siegel, Second Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Leni Riefenstahl: Between Hitler and Hollywood

Lake Highland Preparatory School

 Kalini Patel, Blaine Zweifel and Grayson Kim, Third Place, Junior Group Exhibit
Admiral Yamamoto: The Mastermind Behind the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Lake Highland Preparatory School

 Osceloa County

 Melissa Gutierrez and Christian DeJesus, Third Place, Junior Group Web Site
Little Rock: School Integration

Osceola County School of Arts

 Palm Beach County

 Sareen Junaid, Second Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

American Heritage School Boca Delray

Ryan Edelman, First Place, Senior Individual Exhibit
Henry Flagler and the Florida East Coast Railroad

American Heritage School Boca Delray

Alisha Kahn and Alexandra Ramirez, Second Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Marie Curie: An Unprecedented Journey

American Heritage School Boca Delray

 Pasco County

 Roshan Kumaraswamy and Rohil Tuli, Third Place, Senior Group Documentary
A Lasting Legacy: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Land O' Lakes High School

 Pinellas County

Hannah Arthur, Second Place, Junior Historical Paper
The Brightest Light on the Battlefield: The Leadership and Legacy of Clara Barton
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School

 Olivia Olson and Sophie Elwyn, Second Place, Junior Group Documentary
Poynting the Way: The Leadership and Legacy of Nelson Poynter

Shorecrest Preparatory School

 Walker Willis, Second Place, Junior Individual Performance
The Pen that Changed the World

Shorecrest Preparatory School

 Kristin Shanabrook, Alexandra Shanabrook and Sofia John, First Place, Junior Group Performance
The Zimmerman Telegram and President Woodrow Wilson: Broken Alliances, Espionage, and the Catalyst of World War I

Dunedin Highland Middle School

 Caitlin Katz, Jillian Carta and Megan Lobley, Second Place, Junior Group Performance
Harriet Beecher Stowe: The Author of a Long-lasting Legacy

Dunedin Highland Middle School

 Santa Rosa County

 Ashley Wu, Third Place, Junior Historical Paper
Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal: Leadership and Legacy in Controversy

Gulf Breeze Middle School

 Mary Miles Hitchcock, First Place, Senior Individual Documentary
The Powerful Leadership and Legacy of Sir Nicholas Winton

Gulf Breeze High School

 Max Mateer, First Place, Junior Individual Performance
The Butterfly Effect: Releasing Two Billion Legacies

Gulf Breeze Middle School

 Macy Mateer, First Place, Senior Individual Performance
There's No Need to be Rude: Lindy Boggs' Legacy of Leadership

Gulf Breeze High School

 Sarasota County

 Ignacio Balasch, First Place, Junior Individual Web Site
Magellan's Journey to the End of the World: The Man that Dared to Go Further

Sarasota Middle School

 Aravind Byju, Austin Rockwood, Zach Jordan, Jacob Evans and Aria Pegah, Second Place, Senior Group Web Site
Giving them Hope: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Ongoing Struggle for Equality

Pine View School

 Seminole County

 Caitlin Chen, Srinija Cherivirala, Richa Bhavsar and Chloe Fawcett, Third Place, Junior Group Documentary
Irena Sendler: An Unsung Heroine

Sanford Middle School

 Nikhil Patel and Sapna Patel, First Place, Senior Group Documentary
The Leadership of the United States in the Legacy of International Criminal Justice

Oviedo High School

 St. Johns County

 Aidan Mather, Second Place, Junior Individual Web Site
Florence Nightingale: A Leader with a Legacy

Switzerland Point Middle School

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About Florida History Fair:
Florida History Fair is part of National History Day (NHD). NHD was established in 1974 to promote history in the classroom by offering students the means and encouragement to research people, ideas, and events of the past. The 2014–15 theme is "Leadership and Legacy in History.” After analyzing and interpreting the information they have gathered, students express their findings in a paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or website. More than 60,000 students participated in the 2014–15 Florida History Fair. For more information visit: floridahistoryfair.com.