2024 Competition Results

From Philadelphia, to Scranton, to College Park: Philly students gave NHD their all! We are incredibly proud of the hard work that all our students put into their 2024 projects examining “Turning Points in History!”

National Competition

15 students from Philadelphia headed to College Park, MD to compete at the NHD National Competition! These students joined almost 3,000 of their peers from across the globe for the final stage of the 2024 NHD competition season! We are very grateful that these students represented the city with their incredible work!

  • BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS, SENIOR GROUP WEBSITE: Giulia Sheth, Daniella Liang, Brycinea Stratton (J.R. Masterman School) for “A Cooling Point in History: How Refrigerators Opened the Door to a Fresher Society”
  • OUTSTANDING AFFILIATE AWARD FOR SENIOR DIVISION IN PENNSYLVANIA: Nora Heiskell (J.R. Masterman School) for ‘”Invisible in His Shadows:’ How Lucy, Betsey, Anarcha, and James Marion Sims Transformed American Gynecology”

State Competition

Students who placed First, Second, or Third qualified for the NHD in PA State Competition held at the University of Scranton on April 20th and April 21st! 44 students from Philadelphia went to the State Competition to represent the city in both the Junior and Senior divisions across all project categories!

The following Philadelphia students placed at the top of their category division and qualified for the NHD National Competition in College Park, MD!

JUNIOR DIVISION

  • Group Documentary, Second Place: Caroline Gonzalez, Lucia Cipparone, Claire Zdanavage (St. Mary Interparochial School) for their project “Willowbrook: A Scandal for Change”

SENIOR DIVISION

  • Paper, Second Place: Ruiying Zheng (J.R. Masterman School) for “Medical Innovation through Anesthesia: A Compound that Altered more than Consciousness”
  • Paper, First Place: Nora Heiskell (J.R. Masterman School) for ‘”Invisible in His Shadows:’ How Lucy, Betsey, Anarcha, and James Marion Sims Transformed American Gynecology”
  • Group Exhibit, Second Place: Cameron Zhang, Jessica Zheng, Kara Wang (J.R. Masterman School) for “When the River Ran Red with Blood: How the Nanjing Massacre Turned the Course of Sino-Japanese History”
  • Group Performance, Third Place: Amaliya Kozlova, Jessica Jesteen, Taylor Samara-Reuter (J.R. Masterman School) for “Bursting the Domestic Bubble: How the Seneca Falls Convention Birthed the Feminist Movement”
  • Group Website, First Place: Giulia Sheth, Daniella Liang, Brycinea Stratton (J.R. Masterman School) for “A Cooling Point in History: How Refrigerators Opened the Door to a Fresher Society”
  • Individual Website, Second Place: Halimah Fasasi (J.R. Masterman School) for “Years of Uncertainty: The Socioeconomic and Psychological Consequences of Japanese-American Incarceration”
  • Individual Documentary, First Place: Sarah Zdancewic (J.R. Masterman School) for “Ending the Cycle of Death: How Amsterdam’s Bike Activism Transformed Traffic Safety”

City Competition

Over one hundred students from across Philadelphia gathered at the National Constitution Center on March 6th and 7th to compete in the NHD Philly 2024 competition! Students explored the theme “Turning Points in History” with exhibits, documentaries, performances, and more! We are incredibly proud of every single student who participated. Congratulations to all!

NHD Philly would like to give a special thanks to Ms. Joyce Abbott for emceeing our 2024 Awards Ceremony! Joyce Abbott is a retired educator who served and is a product of the School District of Philadelphia! Prior to working as an educator in Philadelphia, Ms. Abbott served in the military where she earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. Ms. Abbott is the namesake of the fictional school featured in the hit TV Show, Abbott Elementary, which was created by and stars Quinta Brunson, one of Ms. Abbott’s former students. Thank you, Ms. Abbott, for continuing to inspire our Philadelphia students!

JUNIOR DIVISION

Group Website

  • First Place: “Jack Mullin: Man of Sound,” by Joseph Atkinson and Luca Trotta, St. Mary Interparochial School

Individual Performance

  • First Place: “Who Decides?” by Barb Wentz, C.W. Henry School

Individual Documentary

  • First Place: “The Montgomery Bus Boycott,” by Mustafah Bolden, William C. Longstreth School
  • Second Place: “The Devil of India,” by Gibril Kamara, William C. Longstreth School
  • Third Place: “Lead Pencil History: How it Came to Be,” by Makiyah Williams, William C. Longstreth School
  • Honorable Mention: “The Jackson 5,” by Deona Jones, William C. Longstreth School

Group Documentary

  • First Place: “Willowbrook: Scandal for Change” by Lucia Cippatone, Caroline Gonzalez and Claire Zdanavage, St. Mary Interparochial School
  • Second Place: “Guelfs, Ghibelines, and the Decline of Papal Power,” by Hadassa Alves and Elloah Dasilva, Louis H. Farrell School
  • Third Place: “The Revolution of Basketball,” by Sahji Miller, Jamal Carter and Rashon Strickland, William C. Longstreth School
  • Honorable Mention: “Evolution of Communication,” by Rasheed Johnson-Bey and Naseem Parker, William C. Longstreth School

SENIOR DIVISION

Individual Website
  • First Place: “Years of Uncertainty: The Socioeconomic and Psychological Consequences of Japanese-American Incarceration,” by Halimah Fasasi, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
  • Second Place: “Reconstruction Amendments: Turning Point for African Americans,” by Jamaal Wright, Constitution High School
  • Third Place: “Children of Thalidomide: Turning Point in Medicine,” by Tynniyah Simpson-Hudson, Constitution High School
Group Website
  • First Place: “A Cooling Point in History: How Refrigerators Opened the Door to a Fresher Society,” by Daniella Liang, Giulia Sheth and Brycinea Stratton, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
  • Second Place: “Revolution on Wheels: Montgomery Bus Boycott Sparks the Change for Segregation,” by Malcolm McKinney, Samir Thomas-Cooper and Tyrese Mosley, School of the Future
Group Performance
  • First Place: “Bursting the Domestic Bubble: How the Seneca Falls Convention Birthed the Feminist Movement,” by Taylor Samara-Reuter, Amaliya Kozlova and Jessica Jesteen, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
Individual Documentary
  • First Place: “Ending the Cycle of Death: How Amsterdam’s Bike Activism Transformed Traffic Safety,” by Sarah Zdancewic, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
  • Second Place: “Giving Life Back to the People: How Furman v. Georgia was a Turning Point in Capital Punishment,” by Saoirse Hyland, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
  • Third Place: “Magic Johnson: Turning Point for HIV Education,” by Christian Abrams, Constitution High School
  • Honorable Mention: “Young Lords: Turning Point for LatinX History,” by Isis Bermudez, Constitution High School
    Group Documentary
    • First Place: “Stonewall Riots: Turning Point for LGBTQ Rights,” by Toby Jacobs and Nevaeh Govan, Constitution High School
    • Second Place: “MOVE Bombing: A Turning Point for Police Relations,” by Roberto Hernandez, Josiah Martinez and Michael Nguntling, Constitution High School
    • Third Place: “Supreme Court Turning Points: Marbury v. Madison,” by Mamadou Koita and Jasari Holton, School of the Future
      Paper
      • First Place: “Invisible in His Shadows: How Lucy, Betsey, Anarcha, and James Marion Sims Transformed American Gynecology,” by Nora Heiskell, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
      • Second: “Medical Innovation through Anesthesia: A Substance that Altered More than Consciousness,” by Ruiying Zheng, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
      • Third Place: “Divided We Fell: “How McCarythism Turned the Tide Against the American Labor Movement,” by Harry Renfro, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
      • Honorable Mention: “Ancient Women of Math and Science,” by Margaux DeBell, William Penn Charter High School
      Individual Exhibit
      • First Place: “Takeout and Taking Out: How the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Changed the Lives of Chinese-Americans,” by Joanna Wei, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
      • Second Place: “Elizabeth Blackwell: Turning Point for Women’s Rights,” by Kiara Crews, Constitution High School
      • Third Place: “Behind Asylum Bars: Turning Point in Mental Health Care,” by Damodre Hines, Constitution High School
      • Honorable Mention: “By Any Means Necessary: A Turning Point in Civil Rights,” by Tyree Nash, Constitution High School
      Group Exhibit
      • First Place: “The Boondocks,” by Haashima Townsend, Angel Latimore, Jocelyn Smith and Tashae Burgess-Pickett, School of the Future
      • Second Place: “The Exonerated Five: Turning Point for Juvenile Justice,” by Nyia Wood and Stephanie Nieto-Perez, Constitution High School
      • Third Place: “When the River Ran Red with Blood: How the Nanjing Massacre Turned the Course of Sino-Japanese History,” by Jessica Zheng, Kara Wang and Cameron Zhang, J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
      • Honorable Mention: “DJ Cool Herc: Turning Point,” by Nyah Gilmore and Nayae Davis, Constitution High School

        NHD Philly is proud to cover all costs associated with the NHD State and National competitions for all our qualifying students. This includes registration fees, transportation, hotels, and meals. We rely on community support to help ensure this opportunity for our students. Find out how you can help us support our Philly students on their NHD journeys by clicking the button below!

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