Students from four counties and Baltimore City receive honors at national history competition.
(Baltimore, MD) – Maryland Humanities congratulates fifteen Maryland students for their accomplishments at the 2026 National History Day Contest. Aria Fulton, Evelyn Rubens, and Lena Yumoto from Howard County won a silver medal for their group documentary, "Sunlight and Dynamite: The Secrets of the Stasi Files.” Hanna Ariannejad, Kayla McCloskey, and Natalie Martin from Montgomery County won a bronze medal for their group website, “Silent Spring: DDT, Dissent, and the Dawn of a New Era.” Bernadette Cate from Baltimore County won a bronze medal for her individual website, “The Free Speech Movement: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform at U.C. Berkley.” Eight other students were recognized at this year’s competition and/or earned a spot to showcase their research projects at a Smithsonian Institution museum.
Held June 14-18, 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park, a total of 58 students from Maryland competed at this year’s national competition. Maryland honorees of this year hailed from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Montgomery County.
The 2026 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; the Northern Mariana Islands; Department of Defense Schools in the Atlantic; and international schools in China, Korea, and elsewhere 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 “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History.”
The following students received honors: McLuhan Conway of Baltimore City; Bernadette Cate of Baltimore County; Aria Fulton, Evelyn Rubens, Lena Yumoto, Maizy Burkom, Eve Samuel, and Leonie Brown of Howard County; Hanna Ariannejad, Kayla McCloskey, Natalie Martin, Reagan Smith, Serena Lee, Alexander Dacanay, James Woo, and Marguerite Mauldin of Montgomery County.
Amie Dryer, U.S. history teacher at the Calverton School, was also recognized as a finalist for 2026 National History Day Teacher of the Year.
Maryland History Day is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland Historical Trust, MD250 Commission, BGE, the Crowe Foundation, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Thalheimer-Eurich Charitable Fund, Baltimore County Commission on Arts & Sciences, Whiting-Turner, and Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP.
About Maryland History Day
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, a nonprofit education organization that promotes an appreciation for historical research among middle and high school students through multiple annual programs, including the National History Day Contest. More than 27,000 middle and high school students participate in this year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities each year, creating 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 md.nhd.org.
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, a nonprofit education organization that promotes an appreciation for historical research among middle and high school students through multiple annual programs, including the National History Day Contest. More than 27,000 middle and high school students participate in this year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities each year, creating 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 md.nhd.org.
About National History Day
National History Day® (NHD) is a nonprofit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The NHD 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, 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.
National History Day® (NHD) is a nonprofit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The NHD 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, 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
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Maryland, the Baltimore County Commission on Arts & Sciences, private foundations, corporations, small businesses, and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Maryland, the Baltimore County Commission on Arts & Sciences, private foundations, corporations, small businesses, and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.