Quick look: Ten standout student projects from Orange County are headed to the National History Day finals in Maryland next week, capping a state contest that saw the county earn more honors than any other region in California.
From the impact of the Nuremberg Trials to the tragedy of the Thalidomide scandal, student researchers across California have spent months examining how pivotal events in history have shaped the world we live in.
Next week, 10 student projects from Orange County will take their findings to the national stage.
As part of the 2025 National History Day competition — running from June 8-12 at the University of Maryland — 67 students will represent the state. This year marks the 50th anniversary of National History Day, which challenged students to explore the theme “Rights & Responsibilities in History.”
Students were invited to explore the balance between freedoms and obligations in the context of politics, medicine, civil rights and more. Conducting in-depth research using primary and secondary sources, they presented their historical findings to a panel of judges in the form of websites, documentaries, performances, research papers, podcasts and exhibits.
Out of 74 Orange County projects that advanced to the state-level contest, held in May at Sacramento State University, 44 were recognized with top honors — the most of any county in California. That includes 20 champions, 8 runners-up, 5 honorable mentions and 11 special awards.
Among the standout national qualifiers was junior division group documentary, “The Right to Stay: Doss v. Bernal Dismantling Housing Segregation” by Acaciawood Preparatory Academy students Poiema Bernier, Rebekah Miller, Lucas Menendez and Enoch Wu. Another national qualifier was senior division individual website, “The Nuremberg Code: Shaping Human Rights and Responsibilities in Medical Research” by Northwood High School student Anna Cao.
Special awards at the state level also went to Orange County projects that highlighted topics like workers’ rights and press freedom. One such group documentary, “How Cartoons Shaped the Narrative: Thomas Nast’s Fight for Rights and Responsibilities” by Sierra Vista Middle School students by Seojun Baek, Anish Pashikanti and William Lin, received the Bushong Award for Social Justice Legacy & Individual in History.
Reflecting months of research
“Orange County students have once again shown their incredible dedication and talent for historical research,” said OCDE’s NHD-OC Coordinator Julie Hull, who attended the state finals with fellow NHD-OC Coordinator Virginia Reischl to support the scholars. “Their success at the state level reflects months of hard work, creativity and a deep commitment to telling powerful stories through history.”
The success of Orange County students in the National History Day program reflects the commitment of local schools and educators to strengthen students’ critical thinking and research skills. That success can be attributed to teachers like Deanna Myers at Northwood High School, who was one of only two teachers in California to be nominated for the “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award — honoring innovation in teaching historical research and inquiries.
The National History Day finals will kick off June 8 in College Park, Maryland where historians in grades four through 12 will get the chance to show off their work with judges, educators and peers from across the country.
Before heading to nationals, here’s a look at the Orange County champions from the elementary, junior and senior divisions that were honored at the state level:
Elementary Champions (Grades 4-5)
Individual Poster
“The Indian Salt March: Gandhi’s Responsibility to Gain Indian Rights”
Leia Parekh
Olinda Elementary, Brea-Olinda Unified School District
Group Poster
“Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP): Undertaking Dangerous Responsibilities and Fighting for Equal Rights”
Lillian Bucher, Penny Jen, Paige Han, Jiya Patel, Luke Taw
Olinda Elementary, Brea-Olinda Unified School District
“Vietnamization: Nixon’s Right and Responsibility to End U.S. Involvement in an Unpopular War”
Mateo Sanchez Caero, Jaden Chi, Isaiah Na, Kaydence Felix, Jay Lee
Olinda Elementary, Brea-Olinda Unified School District
Individual Podcast
“Harriet Beecher Stowe: Responsibility to Write for Rights of Slaves”
Nathan Diebolt
Olinda Elementary, Brea-Olinda Unified School District
“The Preservation of Human Rights in South Korea”
Noah Lacy
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy
Group Podcast
“Silent Spring”
Arie Goyal, Lucas Na, Brandon Lee, Ethan Kim, Nathan Lee
Olinda Elementary, Brea-Olinda Unified School District
Junior Champions (Grades 6-8)
Group Documentary
“The Right to Stay: Doss v. Bernal Dismantling Housing Segregation”
Poiema Bernier, Rebekah Miller, Lucas Menendez, Enoch Wu
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy
“Ubuntu: Humanity”
Avanika Prasad, Chinmayee Srinivasan
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District
Historical Paper
“Upholding Human Rights: The Nuremberg Trials and the International Responsibility of Delivering Justice”
Abigail Han
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District
Individual Performance
“Phone Booths to Smartphones: Rights and Responsibilities from Katz to the Digital Age”
Aria Yatavelli
Santiago Hills Elementary, Irvine Unified School District
Group Podcast
“Mendez and Munemitsu: The Story Behind the Case”
Madilyn Butler, Sofia Reyes, YuQiao Shao
Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, Irvine Unified School District
Group Website
“The Thalidomide Tragedy: Rights of Consumers’ Healthcare and Responsibilities of the Manufacturer”
Christine Jeon, Joseph Featherstone
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District
“Rights and Responsibilities: The Hetch Hetchy Dam and Its Environmental Impact”
Shawn Castrapel, Max Castrapel
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District
Senior Champions (Grades 9-12)
Group Documentary
“Black and White and Red All Over: The Rights and Responsibilities of SAG-AFTRA”
Jongmin Chae, Luna Moon
Portola High School, Irvine Unified School District
Individual Exhibit
“Forbidden to Fundamental: Perez v. Sharp’s Defense of Marriage Rights and Call for Constitutional Responsibility”
Samantha Bailey
Orange County School of the Arts
“Legacy of Betrayal and Medical Immorality: The Rights, Responsibilities and Redemption of Tuskegee”
Emily Yi
Orange County School of the Arts
Individual Podcast
“Korematsu v. U.S.: A Case of Shattered Rights and Ignored Responsibility That Will Live in Infamy”
Madeline Cheng
Northwood High School, Irvine Unified School District
“Defying Power, Defending Rights: How New York Times Co. v. United States Redefined Press Freedoms and Government Responsibilities”
Asmi Aggarwal
Orange County School of the Arts
Group Podcast
“From Hallways to History: The 1968 East LA Walkouts and the Fight for Chicano Educational Rights”
Sailee Charlu, Julianne Wu
Orange County School of the Arts
Individual Website
“The Nuremberg Code: Shaping Human Rights and Responsibilities in Medical Research”
Anna Cao
Northwood High School, Irvine Unified School District
Learn how to get involved with the National History Day program by visiting OCDE’s NHD-OC webpage.