Florida History Day Student Winners Take Top Honors at National History Day Competition

Students from Broward, Leon, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, and Osceola Counties win big at national contest

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner is pleased to announce that several Florida students from Broward, Leon, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, and Osceola Counties took home top honors at the National History Day (NHD) competition in College Park, Maryland, winning seven national awards and recognitions including three first-place finishes. Sixty-one students and 15 teachers represented Florida in the national competition at the University of Maryland, which was held June 11­­–15.

“This past May at the Florida History Day state contest in Tallahassee, I was thrilled to meet these young historians who spent months conducting research and developing their entries,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “I’m proud and delighted that their hard work, creativity, and dedication has been recognized at the national contest.”

In order to proceed on to the National History Day competition, the students’ entries had previously won first or second place at the Florida History Day state contest in May, which was sponsored by the Museum of Florida History. The middle- and high-school students presented their findings in a documentary, historical paper, performance, exhibit, or website related to the 2016–17 theme, “Taking a Stand in History.” More than 66,000 students participated statewide, making Florida one of the largest programs among the 57 National History Day affiliates. 

The national contest drew 3,040 students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and international schools in Southeast Asia. This year Florida students won several top honors.

Listed below are Florida’s national-level winners by county:

Broward County

1st Place, Junior Individual Exhibit

Maya Moise, American Heritage School

Service Not Servitude

Teacher: Leslie Porges

Leon County

1st Place, Senior Group Exhibit

Creed King and Kate Powell, Leon High School

“Law, Not War”: Benjamin Ferencz’s Lifelong Stand on Peace Through Justice

Teachers: Kate David and Jeanine Meis

Outstanding State Award—Senior Division

Kiera Thompson, Leon High School

Senior Individual Performance

Touissant L’Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution

Teacher: Jeanine Meis

Chaminade University Scholarship (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Creed King, Leon High School

Senior Group Exhibit

“Law, Not War”: Benjamin Ferencz’s Lifelong Stand on Peace Through Justice

Teachers: Kate David and Jeanine Meis

Pinellas County

Eagle Eye Citizen Award, Special Prize

Kyle Nguyen, Palm Harbor University High School

Senior Group Website

The Revolutionary Reforms of Jacob A. Riis: Bringing Light to America's Dark Half

Teachers: Jason Tsardoulias and Shaun Falcon

Santa Rosa County

1st Place, Junior Individual Performance                                                                                     

Max Mateer, Gulf Breeze Middle School

Two Goats on a Bridge and a Torpedo Underneath

Teacher: Grace Freeman

Outstanding State Award—Junior Division

Grace Mims, Gulf Breeze Middle School

Junior Individual Exhibit

Rachel Carson: Standing for the Environment

Teacher: Grace Freeman

Florida’s NHD Finalists by county:

Finalists are students whose entry is among the top ten projects in their division and category.

Osceola County

7th Place, Junior Group Website                                                                                    

Justin Barber, Kathryn Froehlich, Alondra Curet and Kaitlyn Haslam, Osceola County School for the Arts

Ignaz Semmelweis—Taking a Stand to Save Lives 

Teacher: Alissa Jean

Santa Rosa County

4th Place, Junior Individual Exhibit                                                                                   

Grace Mims, Gulf Breeze Middle School

Rachel Carson: Standing for the Environment

Teacher: Grace Freeman

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About Florida History Day

Florida History Day is an affiliate 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 2016–17 theme is "Taking a Stand 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 66,000 students participated in the 2016–17 Florida History Day. For more information, visit floridahistoryday.com.