New York Times features NHD students Imani Haven and Carmen Thompson

June 14, 2025

At National History Day, Students Get Competitive About the Past

Americans are fighting about history. This past week, thousands of students across the country came together to celebrate it.

 
Imani Haven and Carmen Thompson, two 16-year-olds from the White Mountain Apache tribe who live in the reservation community of Cibecue, Ariz., had brought an exhibit about missing and murdered Indigenous women.

“We really wanted to raise awareness,” Imani said. “Lots of people are coming up to us and asking questions.”

It was their first time participating in National History Day, and their first trip on an airplane. (That evening, they planned on going to the beach.) But many students were back for a second, third, fourth time, sometimes as parts of multigenerational National History Day dynasties.

Read the full article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/arts/national-history-day.html?unlocked_article_code=1.O08.Nl5K.kupUk74UhBq5&smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawK7iblleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFiZnhKNUlIYkhUVVJiRnN4AR6QlA9YrfEpMzU8nJbjQudbYZ47tYmTFPiMSz952VOl83uljb_ee1uoVfh9fQ_aem_dRYTU8Gzgt1spdqA7m-1rA

Pictures exhibit "MMIW Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women" from South Mt Community College State competitions:

1st Place NHD winner Brad Wu: Senior Individual Documentary

Congratulations to Brad Wu at National History Day Awards Ceremony!

1st Place NHD winner Brad Wu: Senior Individual Documentary

 https://www.facebook.com/reel/1629015781060836/?s=single_unit&__cft__[0]=AZVbVFyh2AFZkxJwxT-GvznTtv-UUWN68B7nKG3brc5qAiterbwxb0NdfkWPHSZkXZeOBgIKDcQK4yRkCk9dL04EsQ58XpyMlVFRqhil_Vot2ry8i3hH_yj7PUFIUDy6e4qSpyOnWt-fwZGANBhe-oKaW3fPHK5eMrZChAOrrNGHFJEGe7JBNkVSkkHK5Zke0rZuXVa7D5-Hc1MSa1FfefsX&__tn__=H-R

Award Ceremony memories at NHD

Arizona winners:

Brad Wu – Senior Individual Documentary

1st Place

National History Academy Scholarship Winner

Jessica Finnie – Senior Paper

Special Award: Untold Stories in U.S. History

W. Ira Parsons – Senior Paper

Special Award: Discovery or Exploration in History

Thanvi Voruganti – Senior Individual Documentary

Outstanding State Entry

Manavy Gleb – Junior Individual Exhibit

Outstanding State Entry

Thanvi and Manavy names are announced

Manavy and Thanvi

Jessica Finnie receives her medal

Ira Parsons receives his medal

Brad Wu receives his medal

New Vista teacher Stacey Trepanier and Brad Wu

National History Day winners 2025

Congratulations to all the winners and all the Arizona participants in National History Day this season! Everyone did a phenomenal job and we can’t wait to see you all next year!

 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DK0HBivJawj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Ira Parsens, Jessica Finnie, Thanvi Voruganti, Manavy Gleb, Brad Wu

Brad Wu – Senior Individual Documentary

1st Place

National History Academy Scholarship Winner

Jessica Finnie – Senior Paper

Special Award: Untold Stories in U.S. History

W. Ira Parsons – Senior Paper

Special Award: Discovery or Exploration in History

Thanvi Voruganti – Senior Individual Documentary

Outstanding State Entry

Manavy Gleb – Junior Individual Exhibit

Outstanding State Entry

NHD also picks an outstanding entry award. The National contest honors two student entries from each affiliate - one in Junior Division and one in Senior division for exceptional work that stands out, even if they don't place in the top three overall or win a special award.

 

Our two Outstanding Affiliates were: 

 

Manavy Gleb - Junior Individual Exhibit

Outstanding Affiliate Award 

 

Thanvi Voruganti - Senior Individual Documentary 

Outstanding Affiliate Award 

Awesome NHD exhibits at Nationals

 Seeing some really impressive exhibits here at Nationals! How do the students come up with these great ideas??!!

Scroll through some project highlights from other states, countries, and territories that made it to UMD this week!

NHD students at University of Maryland, College Park

 Our NHD AZ students have been busy the past two days with their interviews! Now we wait for finals and finalist announcements before the awards ceremony on Thursday morning.

Great job everyone!

The Historical League is VERY proud of these students and happy to help sponsor their journeys in National History Day competitions.

Thanvi Voruganti

Adrien Piel

Ethan Tsay

Hanna Nguyen and Mai Piel

Saanvi Panasa and Zunairah Qasim

Nathan Davies-Venn

2025 Arizona Historymaker Sister Adele O'Sullivan honored at D-Backs Game

 For these many reasons, Sister Adele O’Sullivan is being honored as 2025 Arizona Historymaker with official presentation October 25, 2025 at Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park.