Local students heading to Maryland for National History Day Contest

The Indiana Historical Society (HIS) announced Thursday that 65 students from across Indiana have qualified to participate in the 2025 National History Day (NHD) National Contest, to be held June 8 to 12 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

These students were selected from a pool of nearly 400 participants in the 2025 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) State Contest, demonstrating exceptional research, creativity, and historical analysis in their projects. Each student advanced through a series of regional and state-level competitions before earning their place at the national level.

Locally, the following Hamilton County students were selected:

Junior Individual Documentary

• “World War II: When Rights Clashed with Responsibility” – Ayan Kalra (Creekside Middle School)

Senior Group Documentary

• “Buried Rights and Broken Duties: Love Canal and the Call for Responsibility” – Benjamin Lu, Divya Ariyur, Emma An, Shawn Feng (Carmel High School)

Senior Group Performance

• “One Man, One Case, One Legacy: Korematsu’s Stand” – Ella Guo, Siyu Pei, Tiffany Gao, Zaina Khan (Carmel High School)
• “An Insane Investigation: Nellie Bly’s Fight to Restore Patients Rights” – Karis Ho, Tami Adepeju (Carmel High School)

Senior Individual Website

• “Gaokao 1977: Restoring Citizens’ Rights and the Chinese Government’s Responsibility to Higher Education” – Katelyn Chen (Carmel High School)

Senior Individual Exhibit

• “Taken Away: Violated Rights and Neglected Responsibilities in Native American Boarding Schools” – Elise Maurer (Carmel High School)
• “The Circus” – Imogen Catlin (Carmel High School)

Senior Group Exhibit

• “Forged and Forgotten: The Steel Industry’s Rights and Responsibilities in the Decline of Gary, Indiana” – Henry Brogan, Sidhanth Kashyap (Carmel High School)
• “Divided Dances: American Bandstand’s Negligence of Civil Rights and Media Responsibility” – Delanyo Fefey, Fatimah McCollum (Carmel High School)

Senior Group Website

• “Gregg v. Georgia: The Execution of Justice” – Katie Zhao, Stephanie Tan, Valerie Fu (Carmel High School)

Now in its 51st year, the National History Day program challenges students in grades 4 through 12 to conduct original historical research and present their findings through one of five formats: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Nearly 3,000 students from across the United States and international schools are expected to take part in this year’s week-long national contest.

Throughout the academic year, Indiana students collaborated with teachers, utilized educational resources, and engaged deeply with historical topics to bring their projects to life.

The National Contest represents the final stage of a rigorous academic program designed to inspire curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of history among young learners.

For more information, visit indianahistory.org/historyday or call (317) 232-1882.