Past Winners

2019 National Competition

Senior Individual Documentary

Third Place
Project Title: From Miracle to Mistake: The Cutter Laboratory
Student: Melinda Chen
School: West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South; Teacher: Michael Garzio

Junior Division Outstanding State Entry Award

Project Title: Triumphant Objectives, Abandoned by Diplomacy: Raoul Wallenberg's Mission
Students: Benjamin Xi, Christopher Shin, Sean Li, and Vinayak Chidrawar
Category: Junior Group Documentary
School: Rosa International Middle School; Teacher: Christy Marrella-Davis

Senior Division Outstanding State Entry Award

Project Title: New Jersey's "Glowing" Women: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Radium Girls*
Student: Amritha Sypereddi and Dessy Dusichka
Category: Senior Group Website
School: Lawrence High School; Teacher: Priscilla Taylor
*Amritha's and Dessy's project also earned 4th place in the Senior Group Website category at the national contest.

Asian-American History Prize

Project Title: A Legacy Lost: The Mistreatment of the Chinese Through the Transcontinental Railroad
Student: Cameron Hojecki, Sarah Bolen, and Victoria Wei
Category: Senior Group Documentary
School: Montville Township High School; Teacher: Stefanie San Filippo

2018 National Competition

Senior Individual Website

First Place
Project Title: The Iran Hostage Crisis: When Compromise Fails
Student: Laura Mills
School: Kent Place School; Teacher: Timothy Maset

Senior Individual Documentary

Third Place
Project Title: The Crown Heights Riots: From Rage to Reconciliation
Student: Alexander Fezza
School: Biotechnology High School; Teacher: Maria Fezza

History in the Federal Government Special Prize

Project Title: Conflict and Compromise in the Nullification Crisis of 1832-33: Sectionalism and a Revived Constitutional Debate
Student: Alex Li
School: West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North; Teacher: Christopher Bond

Junior Division Outstanding State Entry Award

Project Title: The Cotton Club
Students: Alitalia Sharpe & Maria Vieira
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
School: The Peck School; Teacher: David Carlo

Senior Division Outstanding State Entry Award

Project Title: The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Conflict and Compromise
Student: Tashu Gupta
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Bayonne High School; Teacher: Martin Kashmer

2017 National Competition

Junior Individual Documentary

First Place
Project Title: Taking the Road Less Travelled: Rachel Carson’s Stand Against DDT Sparks an Era of Environmental Consciousness
Student: Melinda Chen
School: Thomas R. Grover Middle School; Teacher: Debra Cohen

Junior Group Documentary

Second Place
Project Title: The Statement that Revealed the Truth: Josiah DuBois, an American Holocaust Hero
Student(s): Sam Bitman, Shayna Herzfeld, Gabby O'Brien, and Asha Mohapatra
School: Rosa International Middle School; Teacher: Christy Marrella-Davis

Senior Individual Website

Third Place
Project Title: A Mosaic of a Movement: Alice Paul and the Fight for Women's Rights
Student: Meghana Srivastava
School: West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North; Teacher: Chris Bond

Discovery or Exploration in History Special Prize

Project Title: Grace Hopper: Bringing Words to Computing
Student: Saurav Sanjay
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North; Teacher: Chris Bond