Kutztown middle and high school National History Day competitors brought home first, second and third place winnings at the National History Day Regional Competition held at Manheim Central High Scool on March 18.
“Congratulations to our National History Day students for their diligence, love of research, and academic rigor,” said Beth Patten, 7th Grade Ancient History teacher at Kutztown Area Middle School.
All students who placed will compete at the state competition at Carlisle Area High School on May 12 and 13.
“Although not all of them are coming home with medals, they are coming home ready to dive into more scholarly quests,” said Patten.
Kutztown’s five-year National History Day advisor and KASD 2012 alumna Carolyn Wasser, said, “Success is having students either discussing changes for states or next year’s NHD project. I am so proud of their love for history.”
Patten said Kutztown School District has sent students to compete at the national level since 2001.
“This is the only academic competition that is that consistent. I believe that NHD is one of the programs that truly makes Kutztown Area School District unique,” she said.
Patten said National History Day directly engages more than half a million students and 30,000 teachers annually.
“It teaches students how to think critically, use primary and secondary sources in museums and libraries, and soft interpersonal skills. It has been around since 1974,” said Patten. “The proposed budget cuts would cut National History Day with the defunding of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”
Kutztown High School student Maya Workowski (2017) won First Place in Senior Individual Paper for her paper My Dear Sir, “They Simply Out-Spied Us” The Culper Spy Ring’s Contributions to the American Revolution.
KHS students Abbie Boyer (2017), Emily Burch (2017), Logan Boyer (2020), and Zachary Watson (2020) won First Place in Senior Group Exhibit for their exhibit “Take My Child to a Safer Shore”: The Kraus Mission to Rescue Children from Nazi Threat.
KHS students Grayce Berk (2020), Abigail Herrlin (2020), and Kaylen Leiby (2020) won Second Place in Senior Group Exhibit for their exhibit “Why Should We Be Cowards?”: Lucretia Mott and Her Religious Work to Gain Rights for Women and Slaves.
KHS student Samuel Arnold (2018) won Third Place in Senior Individual Documentary for his documentary Burglary: A New Form of Protest: The Catholic Left and Civil Disobedience during the Vietnam Era.
KHS student Alexander Lanyi (2018) in Senior Individual Website presented The Liberty Bell: Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Land.
KMS students Raegan Loeb (2022), Caitlyn Lubak (2022), Sierra Pensyl (2022), and Taylor Sleboda (2022) won First Place in Junior Group Exhibits for their exhibit “Man is Not Made Better By Being Degraded;” Dorothea Dix Advocates for America’s Mental Asylums.
KMS students Tristan Beck (2022), Sydney Burch (2021), and Emma Keller (2021) won Third Place in Junior Group Documentary for their documentary “Solitude Leads Him Through:” Religion, Reform, and Rehabilitation at Eastern State Penitentiary.
KMS student Dominick Pizzelanti (2023) won First in Junior Individual Documentary for his documentary “The American Fuhrer:” Taking a Stand for German Americans…or Advancing Their Own Undoing?
KMS students Trenton Delp (2021), Matthew Hill (2021), and Julian Tich (2021) in Junior Group Exhibit presented “Glory, to the Conquerors of the Universe” U.S. and U.S.S.R. Space Race Propaganda.
