2023 National History Day Results

NHD-CA State Finals

The 2023 California state contest took place at Sacramento State on April 14-16, 2023. The winners from each county competition are eligible to advance to the state contest. Over 1,600 students compete at the state contest each year. National History Day in California is a co-curricular program for students in grades 4 - 12 in all educational settings. Students engage in historical inquiry and analysis on a topic of their choice.

2023 National History Day Results for Contra Costa County Winners - Champions & Runners-Up
California Champions advance to the National History Day competition that is held each June at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Over 3,000 students complete each year in this final History Day round.

Individual Poster - Elementary
Runner-up, The Radio Saga
Ishaan Halgeri
Bella Vista Elementary School

Group Poster - Elementary
Champion, Florence Kelley: The Chief Factory Inspector
Aleksandra Steel, Leanne Yee, Robin Byun
Bella Vista Elementary School

Individual Website - Junior
Runner-up, Chien Shiung Wu: Crossing the Frontier of Experimental Physics
Ariel Liu
Windemere Ranch Middle School

Group Website - Junior
Runner-up, The Wisconsin Angel: The Woman Who Redefined the Frontiers of Healthcare During the Civil War
Sruthi Nimmagadda
Smayna Kasibhotla
Windemere Ranch Middle School


Contra Costa County National Day of History

Students from schools in Contra Costa County competed in the annual Contra Costa County National Day of History event on Saturday, March 4 at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. Individuals, or groups with the highest scores in each category are now eligible to participate in California History Day, April 15-16 at Sacramento State. Those who win at the state competition become eligible to advance to National History Day.

Students who are eligible to participate in California National History Day state competition are as follows:

ELEMENTARY DIVISION (Grades 4 & 5)

Individual Poster Champions

Frontiers for Women in Medicine by Juliette Chen / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
Alan Turing by Ryan Wei / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
The Small Pox Vaccine by Yashita Nahako / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

Individual Poster Runner Up
The Atomic Theory by Ryan Sung / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
The Radio Saga by Ishaan Halgeri / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
Group Poster Champions
The Berlin Wall – The Rise of a Frontier by Sidh Bugata, Zidaan Barodawala, and Aarav Brijesh / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
Discovering Radium and Polonium, How Marie Curie Opened Up a New Medical Frontier by Ella Chandhoke, Kruthi Srigiriraju / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
Florence Kelley: The Chief Factory Inspector by Aleksandra Steel, Leanne Yee, and Robin Byun / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD
Jawaharlal Nehu: statesman, visionary & pioneer by Sahana Datla / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

Group Poster Runner Up
The Secret War by Shalini Sajith, Diya Karthikeyan and Rhea Gourishetty / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

JUNIOR DIVISION (Grades 6-8)

Documentary Champion -
Mounted Barbarians: How the Mongols Invention of the Stirrup Created a Frontier in Military Technology, by Inaaya Hyder / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD
Documentary Champion -
Radium Girls! The Shocking Story that Created Modern Workplace Safety by Akanksh Borah / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Exhibit Individual Champion -
Stargazers of the Sea: Polynesian Conquest of the Pacific Frontier by Vishnu Satyanarayna / Gale Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Exhibit Group Champion -
Unrecognized Figures: Technological Breakthroughs made by the Creators of Apollo 11 by Praneel Bandi, Srikruthi Namburi, and Trisha Kumar / Gale Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Paper Individual Champion -
Alexandra Kollontai: Russian Working Women Unite! By Noor Gowra / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD


Website Individual Champion -
The Stonewall Riots: The First Act of Rebellion by Niti Bhatt /Pine Valley Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Website Individual Runner Up - Chien-Shiung Wu: The First Lady of Physics by Ariel Liu / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Website Group Runner Up -
The Wisconsin Angel: The Woman Who Redefined the Frontiers of Healthcare During the Civil War by Sruthi Nimmagadda and Smayna Kasibhotla / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

SENIOR DIVISION (Grades 9-12)

Exhibit Individual Champion -
Grand Theft Autonomy: How the Exploitation of Henrietta Lacks Fueled Medical Frontiers but Failed Patient Rights by Sarasvati Satyanarayana / Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon Valley USD

Paper Individual Champion -
How did the British dominate Anglo-Chinese relations and gain economic and political control within China in the 19th century? By Ruihan Zhang, Athenian School

Performance Group Champion –
Space Race: Exploring the New Frontier by Mohan Krishnan and Amiya Sheshadri / Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon Valley USD

Podcast Group Champion –
Historical Frontiers in the Internet: Section 230 by Carter Considine, Aria Capelli, and Carolyn Considine / Campolindo High School, Acalanes Union High School District

Website Group Champion –
Pioneering the Polio Vaccine: The Push for Prevention by Adviti Aleti and Stuthi Kandula / Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon Valley USD

Special Topics Awards
The Musuem of San Ramon Valley – Award for Excellence in Local History and Exemplary all around:

Website Individual -
Chien-Shiung Wu: The First Lady of Physics by Ariel Liu / Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley USD

Poster Group -
Jawaharlal Nehru: statesman, visionary & pioneer by Sahana Datla / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

Saint Mary’s College Special Topics Awards -

Gender History – with Women’s and Gender Studies Program –

Individual Poster -
Frontiers for Women in Medicine by Juliette Chen / Homeschool, San Ramon Valley USD

Ethnic Studies –A People’s History – with Ethnic Studies Program -

Individual Poster -
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, A Frontier in the Fight for Equality by Ayana Gwalani / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

Enviornmental History – with Enviornmental and Earth Sciences

Individual Poster -
First Time Exploring the Deepest Part of the Ocean by Archit Kundu / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

Global History – with Global and Regional Studies Program

Group Poster -
The Haitian Act of Independence by Pranav Barani, Rishabh Kaushik, and Vedh Pedaballi / Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon Valley USD

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