NASHVILLE, Tenn. – At the 2023 National History Day competition, Knox County students Jelena Armsworth, Timothy Cho and Matthew Wang earned recognition for their junior group and individual documentaries.
Third Place
Project: Senior Individual Documentary: Indian Magna Carta: The Proclamation of 1763 and the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Frontier
Student: Jelena Armsworth
School: L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville
Educator: Karen Stanish
Honorable Mention
Project: Matthew Wang and Timothy Cho Senior Individual Documentary: The Race to the South Pole: Earth’s Final Frontier
Student: Matthew Wang and Timothy Cho
School: Farragut High School, Knoxville
Educator: Chris McNeer
Armsworth, Cho and Wang were among 16 Tennessee students whose group or individual projects earned recognition at National History Day. They are students at L&N STEM Academy and Farragut High School under the guidance of educators Chris McNeer and Karen Stanish.
“Congratulations to these dedicated students for representing our state with such excellence,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I commend them on this well-deserved national recognition. The knowledge and skills gained through the National History Day competition will serve them well in the future.”
Fifty-four Tennessee middle and high school students earned the right to compete in the 2023 National History Day competition after competing in the statewide Tennessee History Day competition. Tennessee History Day is organized by the Tennessee Historical Society and sponsored by the Tennessee Secretary of State and Humanities Tennessee.
National History Day allows students to showcase their creativity and research skills by developing documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances or websites with historical themes. The theme of this year’s contest was Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.
“The performance of our Tennessee students is a direct result of their tenacity and passion for their topics,” said Tennessee History Day coordinator Nikki Ward. “The History Day competition cycle allows the students to revise their projects based on feedback from the judges. Our students continued to work on their research even after school ended for the semester, and their efforts were certainly rewarded!”
More than 400 historians and education professionals served as judges for the students’ work. National History Day awarded scholarships worth $150,000 at the national awards ceremony. Over 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $1,000 for superior work.
“It’s great to be back in person after three years of virtual contests,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Every year, NHD students surprise and inspire me with their enthusiasm, innovative thinking, and tireless research. The analytical skills they have cultivated will stand them in good stead for their future educational endeavors. Congratulations to the over half a million students globally who participated and to the thousands of teachers who guided them.”
Students and teachers begin work on the yearlong National History Day curriculum each fall. Starting with competitions held in individual schools, the winners advance to the district, state and national competitions. Nationwide, the History Day program includes more than a half-million students annually from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa and Department of Defense Schools. This year, approximately 7,500 students across Tennessee participated in the program.
