“This year’s theme allows students the opportunity to focus on a particular leader and how that individual impacted history,” NHD Coordinator Christine Patton said. “Students have researched a wide range of topics, from more well-known names like Henry Ford, Nelson Mandela, and Adolf Hitler, to individuals that most people don’t automatically think of when they hear the word ‘leader,’ like Alfred Hitchcock, Sigmund Freud, Virginia Hall – Google her!”

Students are allowed to compete individually or in groups. Students who place at the school competition advance to a region contest. Students who place first, second or third at one of the 10 region contests advance to the state NHD competition and, possibly, the national finals, Patton explained.

"This year’s National History Day was a fantastic learning experience for me because I deepened my understanding of my topic and how it related to the theme for this year," student Kai Frazier said.

Winning projects must demonstrate “extensive research, analysis and interpretation of the topic, and connection to the theme,” Patton explained. Projects also must have a “strong visual impact, an annotated bibliography and a process paper.”

"National History Day this year was my most successful year, thus far, because I worked hard and it paid off by winning first place in individual websites," winner Kenley Harvey said.

Tori Stringer, whose group did their project on Benazir Bhutto and placed first in the Group Exhibits area, is excited to go to region and hopes her group will advance to state competition. Their topic, Bhutto, was the first woman prime minister of an Islamic state.

“Drew (Lloyd) came up with the idea to research Benazir Bhutto because she had a major impact on the role of women, not only in Pakistan but many countries in the Middle East,” Stringer said. “We spent a few months researching her impact and how she led. Overall, the project took us a little bit more than a semester.”

First place Individual Exhibits winner Daniel Holland chose Henry Ford because he’d “always wanted to know why his cars were so popular.”

“I spent a month or two researching him and his company,” Holland said. “Then, I put all of my research on my board. When I found out I won first place I was surprised because I didn’t think I would place. I’m happy about going to region competition and hope I go to state.”

Patton said “TCCHS is proud to have 40 students moving on” to the next phase of competition.