The weekend of April 20-21, 2024 saw 22 Riverview students traveling to the University of Scranton to present their projects at the National History Day State Finals. This is the second competitive step in the National History Day process, with these students earning the opportunity to present by placing at the regional finals in March at the Heinz History Center. The students who chose to attend the state finals were sophomores Aicha Jaafar, Grace Johnson, and Rosalia Lascola and freshmen Carson Bodnar, Juliette Brun, Ayden Fichte, Sophia Gagetta, Catie Hoolahan, Hannah Hudack, Blake Huffman, Noah Hunter, Cara Johnson, Nico Lascola, Seeley Lippert, Aliyah Lookabaugh, Lilly Murphy, Ryland Ogrodowski, Nick Penkrot, Kieran Pisoni, Oden Rebarchak, Miles Sigal, and Michael Woodrow.
Students presented a variety of projects focused on a historical topic that related to the 2024 theme of "Turning Points in History." For the third consecutive year, Riverview had students finish in the top two places within their categories therefore earning the opportunity to present at the National Finals on June 9-13 at the University of Maryland.
Juliette Brun, Hannah Hudak, and Ryland Ogrodowski won first place for their Senior group performance titled "The Treaty that Built Europe"
Sophia Gagetta, Cara Johnson, and Aliyah Lookabaugh won second place for their Senior group performance titled "Tears of Gold: A Tudor Tragedy"
Students also placing in the top 6 statewide were:
Nick Penkrot - Fourth place for his Senior individual performance titled "Mendel and the Peas: How Genetics Changed History"
Ayden Fichte, Seeley Lippert, and Oden Rebarchak - Fourth place for their Senior group performance titled "A Tour through Pearly Rosebuds and Carnations: How Frankenstein Gave Life to the Romantic World"
Grace Johnson and Rosa Lascola - Sixth place for their Senior group website titled "Oh, my daughter, I wish you were a boy!"
In addition, Aicha Jaafar won the Irwin Marcus Award for her paper titled "Bly in Blackwell's: A Turning Point for Mental Health and Journalism." This paper will be published in the PA Historical Association's "Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies," later this year.
Congratulations to all students and good luck to Juliette, Hannah, Ryland, Sophia, Cara, and Aliyah at Nationals.