HCPSS Students Honored at National History Day

June 23rd, 2022

HCPSS students and staff received a number of distinctions at this year’s National History Day competition, held virtually June 12-18, including two Burleigh Manor Middle School entries that were awarded bronze medals. In addition, Burleigh Manor staff members Beth Berkeley, Robyn Page, and Geordie Paulus were named the Naval Historical Foundations Teachers of Distinction.

The full list of HCPSS National History Day honorees includes:

Bronze Medal, 3rd Place

Junior Individual Performance
Student: Sabrina Wang
Title: The Kanagawa Treaty: Unlocking Japan through Gunboat Diplomacy
School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
Teacher(s): Geordie Paulus, Robyn Page, Beth Berkeley

Bronze Medal, 3rd Place and Selected to Display at Planet Word Museum Website Showcase

Junior Individual Website
Student: Helen Zhu
Title: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring: The Power of Environmental Debate
School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
Teacher(s): Carl Bell, Robyn Page

Selected to Display in the National Museum Of American History Virtual Exhibit Showcase

Junior Group Exhibit
Students: Simrah Khan and Charlotte Tettelin
Title: “Too Strong for a Woman”: How Bernice Sandler Sparked Title IX
School: Burleigh Manor Middle School
Teacher: Carl Bell, Beth Berkeley, Robyn Page, and Geordie Paulus

Selected to Screen in the National Museum Of African American History And Culture Documentary Showcase

Senior Group Documentary
Students: Ryan Tehrani and Ryan Zhou
Title: Changing the U.S. Through Debate: The Story of Yick Wo v. Hopkins
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan

Category Finalist

Junior Paper
Student: Sakshi Tirodkar
Topic: Relief, Recovery, and Reform: Debate and Diplomacy in the New Deal and FDR’s Court-Packing Plan
School: Mayfield Woods Middle School
Teacher: Daniel Stone

Selected as Naval Historical Foundations Teachers of Distinction

Teachers: Beth Berkeley, Robyn Page, and Geordie Paulus
Award: Naval Historical Foundations Teachers of Distinction
School: Burleigh Manor Middle School

Participation in the national competition was the culmination of wins at the Howard County Regional History Day Competition and the Maryland State History Day Competition held earlier this year. After placing first or second at the statewide Maryland History Day competition in April, 18 HCPSS students were eligible to participate in the national competition. Students presented entries in five categories: exhibit, performance, multimedia documentary, research paper and website.

For more information on National History Day, visit www.nhd.org.