April 24, 2023 - Shaker Heights students competed at Ohio's National History Day Competition with approximately 400 other students this past Saturday. The competition was held at Ohio Wesleyan University and students competed for special prizes and 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 and one Shaker Heights Middle School project, representing 13 students, will advance to the National Competition, with Shaker Heights winning four First Place entries. Overall, 23 Shaker Heights students won recognition as National Qualifiers, National Alternates, Honorable Mentions or Special Awards recipients. Student projects represented the achievements of women, Black Americans and numerous STEM and additional significant topics from the United States, Ohio and local History. Congratulations to all who participated!
High School 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 and counsel from the Theater Department. Our Shaker Heights Middle School student work with David Saluga.
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: The Height of the Fight: Bill Russell as a Trailblazer for Activism in the NBA by Wyatt Roth, Sam Luther, Malachai Shulman, Keyshawn Ragin
Honorable Mention: Bessie Coleman: Fight Through Flight
by Zachary Nathenson, Joey Moore, Matthew Jones, Jesse Nathenson
Senior Individual Exhibit
National Finalist, First Place: The Bronx Boogie Down Borough: The Frontier That Birthed Hip-Hop Culture by Kennedi Curry
National Finalist, Second Place: Dr. Jane C. Wright: Pioneer in Oncology by Elise Lopez
Senior Group Exhibit
National Finalist, First Place: The Final Frontier: How Human Computers Advanced Equality and Science at NASA by Meredith Hurley, Ingrid Holda, Ezra Ellenbogen, Grace Kaelber
National Alternate, Third Place: Harriet Tubman: A Moses To Her People
by Maya Mayan, Lowell Rich, Eamonn Furey, Lucy Horrigan
Honorable Mention: Frank Lloyd Wright: Architect Of America
by David Hudson, Natalie Konrad, Madeline Kuta, Sofia Zucca
Senior Group Website
National Finalist, Second Place: Granville T. Woods: A Forgotten Pioneer of the Third Rail, Multiplex Telegram, and Emergency Brake by Tima Ewing and Nathan Ballman
Junior Paper
National Finalist, First Place: The Marshall Plan by Mason Zhang
Special Awards
African American History Award by the Ohio State University: The Final Frontier: How Human Computers Advanced Equality and Science at NASAby Meredith Hurley, Ingrid Holda, Ezra Ellenbogen, Grace Kaelber
Ohio Women in Government Award: Katherine Johnson: Crossing Frontiers of Segregation, Gender Bias, and Space by Cassandra Webster
Ohio Local History Award: Granville T. Woods: A Forgotten Pioneer of the Third Rail, Multiplex Telegram, and Emergency Brake by Tima Ewing and Nathan Ballman