Students from Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties receive honors at history competition
(Baltimore, MD) – Maryland Humanities congratulates eighteen Maryland students for their accomplishments at the National History Day Contest. Franka Hebisch of Montgomery County won a Gold Medal for her performance on the Match Girls Strike of 1888. Tirzah Chan, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang of Howard County received a Bronze Medal for their group performance on corporate responsibility. Fourteen other Maryland students earned Special Prizes, a spot in a showcase at a Smithsonian Institution museum, or another form of special recognition at this year’s national competition.
Held June 8–12, 2025 at the University of Maryland, College Park, a total of 67 students from Maryland competed at this year’s national competition. The honorees hailed from Frederick and Prince George’s County, in addition to Montgomery and Howard Counties.
The National History Day competition welcomed an estimated 3,000 students to the final stage. Over a half-million students participated at the school, district, state, and national levels. Competitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia traveled to College Park, Maryland to compete.
Students who advance to National History Day won first or second place at the Maryland History Day State Contest, a culmination of the year-long Maryland History Day program presented by Maryland Humanities. For Maryland History Day, an affiliate of National History Day, students create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice based on the annual theme. This year’s theme was “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
The following students received honors: Laila Asamoah of Frederick County; Sravya Annappareddy, Tirzah Chan, Hemant Kantheti, Shiven Trambadia, Justin Wang, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang of Howard County; Chloe Chang, Jacob Frias, Lydia Garside, Emmanuel Getahun, Franka Hebisch, Genevieve Lichtenberger, Maya Mourshed, Nikhil Pandey, Nuaimaan Tewfik of Montgomery County; and Christopher Hill of Prince George’s County.
Learn more about the Maryland History Day program here. For any questions or other information, please contact Stephanie Boyle, Program Officer for History, here.
Held June 8–12, 2025 at the University of Maryland, College Park, a total of 67 students from Maryland competed at this year’s national competition. The honorees hailed from Frederick and Prince George’s County, in addition to Montgomery and Howard Counties.
The National History Day competition welcomed an estimated 3,000 students to the final stage. Over a half-million students participated at the school, district, state, and national levels. Competitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia traveled to College Park, Maryland to compete.
Students who advance to National History Day won first or second place at the Maryland History Day State Contest, a culmination of the year-long Maryland History Day program presented by Maryland Humanities. For Maryland History Day, an affiliate of National History Day, students create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice based on the annual theme. This year’s theme was “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
The following students received honors: Laila Asamoah of Frederick County; Sravya Annappareddy, Tirzah Chan, Hemant Kantheti, Shiven Trambadia, Justin Wang, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang of Howard County; Chloe Chang, Jacob Frias, Lydia Garside, Emmanuel Getahun, Franka Hebisch, Genevieve Lichtenberger, Maya Mourshed, Nikhil Pandey, Nuaimaan Tewfik of Montgomery County; and Christopher Hill of Prince George’s County.
Learn more about the Maryland History Day program here. For any questions or other information, please contact Stephanie Boyle, Program Officer for History, here.
MARYLAND WINNERS AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2025
FREDERICK COUNTY
Student: Laila Asamoah
Honor: Junior Outstanding Entry
Category: Junior Individual Website
Title: The Price of Silence: How the Pentagon Papers Changed America’s Right to Know
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
HOWARD COUNTY
Students: Shiven Trambadia and Justin Wang
Honor: Selected for Exhibit Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Category: Senior Group Exhibit
Title: Blood Behind Bars: The Attica Prison Riot
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Students: Tirzah Chan, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang
Honor(s): Third Place AND Selected for Performance Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Category: Senior Group Performance
Title: The Lasting Impact of Forever Chemicals: How the DuPont Case Altered Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Rights
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Student: Sravya Annappareddy
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Performance
Title: Autonomy Under Attack: Rights and Responsibilities in Roe
School: Guilford Park High School
Teacher: Allison Miller
*
Student: Hemant Kantheti
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
Title: Stamp of Silence: How The Comics Code Authority of 1954 Redefined Rights and Responsibilities in Pop Culture
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Student: Chloe Chang
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Website
Title: Making WAVES: The First Women's Reserve in the Navy
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Jacob Frias, Emmanuel Getahun, Nikhil Pandey, and Nuaimaan Tewfik
Honor(s): Senior Outstanding Entry AND Finalist
Category: Senior Group Website
Title: The Salute that Changed The World: The 1968 Black Power Salute
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lydia Garside and Genevieve Lichtenberger
Honor(s): Special Prize in U.S. Women's History AND Finalist
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Women's Right to Vote: Before and After the 19th Amendment
School: Sligo Middle School
Teacher: Jason Smith
*
Student: Franka Hebisch
Honor: First Place
Category: Junior Individual Performance
Title: Corporate Tyranny: How the Match Girls Lit the Flame of Change for Workers in 1888
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Student: Maya Mourshed
Honor(s): Special Prize in Discovery or Exploration in History AND Finalist
Category: Junior Individual Performance
Title: Hello, Dolly!: How a Sheep Provoked Debate About the Implications of Breakthrough Scientific Advancements on Society
School: Francis Scott Key Middle School
Teacher: Steve O'Shaughnessy
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Student: Christopher Hill
Honor: Selected for Documentary Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
Title: The Fight for The Right of Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teacher: Adam Thomas
FREDERICK COUNTY
Student: Laila Asamoah
Honor: Junior Outstanding Entry
Category: Junior Individual Website
Title: The Price of Silence: How the Pentagon Papers Changed America’s Right to Know
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
HOWARD COUNTY
Students: Shiven Trambadia and Justin Wang
Honor: Selected for Exhibit Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Category: Senior Group Exhibit
Title: Blood Behind Bars: The Attica Prison Riot
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Students: Tirzah Chan, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang
Honor(s): Third Place AND Selected for Performance Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Category: Senior Group Performance
Title: The Lasting Impact of Forever Chemicals: How the DuPont Case Altered Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Rights
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Student: Sravya Annappareddy
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Performance
Title: Autonomy Under Attack: Rights and Responsibilities in Roe
School: Guilford Park High School
Teacher: Allison Miller
*
Student: Hemant Kantheti
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
Title: Stamp of Silence: How The Comics Code Authority of 1954 Redefined Rights and Responsibilities in Pop Culture
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Student: Chloe Chang
Honor: Finalist
Category: Senior Individual Website
Title: Making WAVES: The First Women's Reserve in the Navy
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Jacob Frias, Emmanuel Getahun, Nikhil Pandey, and Nuaimaan Tewfik
Honor(s): Senior Outstanding Entry AND Finalist
Category: Senior Group Website
Title: The Salute that Changed The World: The 1968 Black Power Salute
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lydia Garside and Genevieve Lichtenberger
Honor(s): Special Prize in U.S. Women's History AND Finalist
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Women's Right to Vote: Before and After the 19th Amendment
School: Sligo Middle School
Teacher: Jason Smith
*
Student: Franka Hebisch
Honor: First Place
Category: Junior Individual Performance
Title: Corporate Tyranny: How the Match Girls Lit the Flame of Change for Workers in 1888
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Student: Maya Mourshed
Honor(s): Special Prize in Discovery or Exploration in History AND Finalist
Category: Junior Individual Performance
Title: Hello, Dolly!: How a Sheep Provoked Debate About the Implications of Breakthrough Scientific Advancements on Society
School: Francis Scott Key Middle School
Teacher: Steve O'Shaughnessy
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Student: Christopher Hill
Honor: Selected for Documentary Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
Title: The Fight for The Right of Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teacher: Adam Thomas
Maryland History Day is supported by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), National History Day®, Thalheimer-Eurich Charitable Fund, Baltimore County Commission on the Arts & Sciences, James T. and Virginia M. Dresher Center for the Humanities at UMBC, and Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP.
About Maryland Humanities
About Maryland History Day
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Maryland History Day
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day and a year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities. More than 26,000 middle and high school students create original projects that explore a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme. Professional development for teachers is offered through online courses and platforms, summer teacher institutes, workshops, and classroom outreach. Maryland Humanities produces Maryland History Day. For more information, visit www.MDHistoryDay.org. Connect with Maryland History Day on Facebook.
About National History Day ® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. 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, Patricia Behring Foundation, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, World Education Foundation, the National Park Service, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, the Better Angels Society, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, and individual donors. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About Maryland Humanities
About Maryland History Day
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Maryland History Day
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day and a year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities. More than 26,000 middle and high school students create original projects that explore a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme. Professional development for teachers is offered through online courses and platforms, summer teacher institutes, workshops, and classroom outreach. Maryland Humanities produces Maryland History Day. For more information, visit www.MDHistoryDay.org. Connect with Maryland History Day on Facebook.
About National History Day ® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. 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, Patricia Behring Foundation, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, World Education Foundation, the National Park Service, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, the Better Angels Society, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, and individual donors. For more information, visit nhd.org.