Chas. Co. Students Advance to State History Fair after Placing at Regionals


LA PLATA, Md. (Apreil 12, 2017)—Charles County Public Schools hosted the 2017 History, Industry, Technology and Science (HITS) Expo on March 18 at St. Charles High School, during which students presented History Day entries. First- and second-place category winners advance to the state competition on April 29 at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

The following students placed at the Charles County History Day competition.

Winners in the Historical Paper, junior division, are

• Dameon Smith, first place, seventh grade, General Smallwood Middle School, "Sophie Scholl and the White Rose;"

• Cody Lehman, second place, seventh grade, Milton M. Somers Middle School, "Muhammad Ali Takes a Stand Against the Vietnam War;" and

• John Andrews III, third place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen Middle School, "Taking a Stand With the National Parks."

Winner in the Individual Performance, junior division, is

• Brynna Bode, first place, eighth grade, Smallwood, "Thomas Stone: Taking a Stand for Independence."

Winners in the Group Performance, junior division, are

• Gracielle Ndjampa, Dena Stallings and Nehemiah Strawberry, first place, seventh graders, John Hanson Middle School, "Nat Turner."

Winners in the Group Performance, senior division, are

• Jonathan Banks, Briana Jones, Trinity Sauls and Darienne Savoy, juniors, and sophomore Dakota Pereria, first place, Westlake High School, "A Sit in to Stand Up."

Winners in the Individual Documentary, junior division, are

• Gwyneth Luster, first place, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown, "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell: Taking a Stand to Tell the Truth;"

• Maddox Torres, second place, seventh grade, Somers, "Operation Valkyrie;" and

• Mason McCauley, third place, seventh grade, St. Mary's Bryantown, "Jackie Robinson: Taking a Stand in History."

Winners in the Group Documentary, junior division, are

• Olukemi Harris, Nia Jenkins-DePeiza and Yusra Umer, first place, seventh grade, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, "Taking a Stand Against the British: Gandhi's Salt March to the Sea;"

• Hailey Carroll and Kelsey Njembu, second place, seventh graders, Hanson, "The Civil Rights Movement;" and

• Brendan Johnson and Wesley Thompson, third place, seventh graders, Davis, "Nelson Mandela."

Winners in the Individual Website, junior division, are

• James Dixon, first place, sixth grade, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, "Jesse Owens: Defiance in Leaps and Bounds;"

• Samuel Chernoff, second place, seventh grade, Somers, "Galileo: Taking a Stand Against Religion for Science;" and

• Ann Ubaka, third place, seventh grade, Mattawoman Middle School, "Claudette Colvin and the Montgomery Bus Boycott."

Winners in the Group Website, junior division, are

• Taylor Peterson and Isabella Santoro, first place, seventh graders, Somers, "Women's Suffrage Movement;"

• Matthew Harrer and Nick Truss, second place, eighth graders, St. Mary's Bryantown, "Branch Rickey;" and

• Kemi Onakoya and Samantha Mammano, third place, sixth graders, St. Mary's Bryantown, "Dorothea Dix: Changing the Mentally Ill Forever."

Winners in the Individual Exhibit, junior division, are

• Trinity Smallwood, first place, seventh grade, Hanson, "Rosa Parks: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement;"

• Trevor Jenkins, second place, seventh grade, Hanson, "Nat Turner: A Revolt for the Slaves;" and

• Ellie Stokes, third place, seventh grade, Mattawoman, "Protecting the Environment: The Establishment of the National Parks Service."

Winners in the Group Exhibit, junior division, are

• Ashleigh Dyson and Kaylyn Lewis, first place, seventh grade, Davis, "Little Rock Nine: They Stood Alone So We Could Sit Together;"

• Beth Johnson and Grace Landgraf, second place, seventh graders, Somers, "Nat Turner and the Slave Rebellion;" and

• Kameryn Benn, Nya Brooks and Mia Simms, third place, seventh graders, Davis, "The Boston Tea Party."

The following students received special awards:

• Ashleigh Dyson and Kaylyn Lewis, seventh graders, Davis, "Little Rock Nine: They Stood Alone So We Could Sit Together," award from the African American Heritage Society of Charles County;

• Trinity Smallwood, seventh grade, Hanson, "Rosa Parks," award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Nu Zeta Omega Chapter;

• Aden Noor, seventh grade, Mattawoman, "Muhammad Ali V. The Vietnam War," award from the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Sigma Alpha Lambda Chapter;

• Caden Simpson, seventh grade, Somers, "Death of Tobacco: Maryland's Tobacco Buyout Program," award from the Charles County Antique Arts Association;

• Brynna Bode, eighth grade, Smallwood, "Thomas Stone: Taking a Stand for Independence," award from the Charles County Antique Arts Association;

• Gwyneth Luster, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown, "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell: Taking a Stand to Tell the Truth," award from the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland;

• Eileen Browning, seventh grade, Somers, "The Boston Tea Party," award from The Charles County Heritage Commission;

• Jordan Eversley, sophomore, St. Charles High School, "Juanita Jackson Mitchell," award from The Charles County Heritage Commission;

• Leah Kwak, seventh grade, Somers, "Malala Yousafzai," award from the Charles County Commission for Women;

• Ellie Stokes, seventh grade, Mattawoman, "Protecting the Environment: The Establishment of the National Park Service," award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Port Tobacco Chapter;

• Ann Ubaka, seventh grade, Mattawoman, "Claudette Colvin: The Montgomery Bus Boycott," award from the Southern Maryland Chain Chapter, The Links;

• Dameon Smith, seventh grade, Smallwood, "Sophie Scholl and the White Rose," award from the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Eta Omicron Sigma Chapter; and

• Trevor Jenkins, seventh grade, Hanson, "Nat Turner: A Revolt for the Slaves," award from the Ella Virginia Houck Holloway Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.

A complete list of students who received awards in the science fair portion of the HITS Expo is posted on the Charles County Public Schools website at www.ccboe.com/pr/ .

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