April 23, 2024 -- Students from Shaker Heights High School competed at Capital University this past Saturday with approximately 400 other students for the opportunity to compete at the National History Day competition in June at the University of Maryland at College Park. Five Shaker Heights High School projects representing 11 students, will advance to the National Competition, with Shaker winning two First Place spots. Overall, 15 Shaker students won recognition as National Qualifiers, National Alternates or Honorable Mentions. Student projects represented the achievements of women, Black Americans and numerous STEM topics from around the United States. Congratulations to all who participated!
Students work with Individuals and Societies teachers Sarah Davis and Joseph Konopinski, with assistance from many other faculty, editorial assists from the High School’s Writing Center, the District's music department and tremendous support from High School librarian, Robin Sweigert. The Shaker Heights Middle School student competitor worked with Middle School teacher David Saluga. Special thank you to former National Finalist and current SHHS History teacher Adrienne Carson for her assistance this Saturday.
**Results are listed by category. "Senior" indicates high school level competition. "Junior" indicates middle school level competition. First and Second places both qualify to compete at the National Competition and Third place indicates a National Competition Alternate.
Senior Group Documentary
National Finalist, First Place: Miles Davis and the Transformation of American Music by Jonah Paponetti, David Rhodes
Senior Individual Documentary
Honorable Mention: Female Directors in Hollywood: From Silent to Silenced by Isabel Siegel
Senior Individual Exhibit
National Finalist, Second Place: Fission to Fallout: How the Atomic Bomb Changed the World by Lara Sesenoglu-Laird
Senior Group Exhibit
National Finalist, Second Place: Highway Revolution: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 by Jacob Clellen, Bernat Corcelles Huerta, Robert (Huck) Weinberg
Senior Group Website
National Finalist, First Place: Unlocking the Mind: How the Publication of Patrica Goldman-Rakic’s Science Research Marked a Turning Point in Brain Science by Abby Hahnenberg, Kelsey Rogers
Senior Group Performance
National Finalist, Second Place: Kent State Tragedy: A Turning Point in Anti-War Protests by Isaac Hren, Charles Griest, Luca Arnoldi, Loukas White
National Alternates, Third Place: Loving v. Virginia: A Story of Trials and Triumph by Leah Reymann, Myles Hills, Sarah Holbrook