After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Rocklin on Sunday at William Jessup University, concluding the 2022 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,200 students participated, coming from 210 schools across 24 counties. The 2022 national competition will be conducted online in June.
Winners from Sacramento County
Champions
- Pranay Bodducherla (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
- Jamie Jack (Mary Deterding Elementary School)
- Joshua Murray (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
- Alden Raymond (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
- Aki Usmani (Mary Deterding Elementary School)
- Sid Veturi (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
Runners-Up
- Ritu Arun (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
- Bailey Becker (Mary Deterding Elementary School)
- Aarnika Rajesh (Theodore Judah Elementary School)
Honorable Mentions
- Mia Fisher (Cosumnes Oaks High School)
- Kaelyn Feng (Cosumnes Oaks High School)
- Jackson Whited (Sacramento Country Day School)
Full results of the 2022 state competition (by division) are available on the National History Day—California website.
CA Nominees for the “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” Award
Two educators from California have been nominated for the prestigious “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award, a national honor for teachers who engage History Day students through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. The winners will be announced during the National History Day awards ceremony. California’s nominees are:
- Maryville Poe
Monterey Trail High School, Sacramento County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12) - Jordan Einbinder
Solana Ranch Elementary School, San Diego County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)
National History Day Program
Each fall, more than 600,000 students nationwide begin the year-long National History Day program. Students start by creating classroom projects, then some advance to compete in a series of history contests that progress from the district level to the county, then on to a statewide competition. Students choose their own study topic and connect it to a common theme, which for 2021–22 was “Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, and Consequences.”
Participants in the National History Day program research historic documents and artifacts, conduct oral histories, search libraries and the Internet for information on their topic, and travel to historic sites. They present their work in a variety of ways, including museum-type exhibits, documentaries, websites, original performances, posters, and traditional research papers. In California, more than 40,000 students participate in National History Day each year.