Tennessee History Day
2020 Virtual Contest Results
The Tennessee Historical Society would like to congratulate the winners
of the 2020 Tennessee History Day competition as well as
all of our participants from across the state.
2020 MEDALISTS
JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY
1st
Lucille Ball: Breaking Gender Barriers in Comedy
Piper Greene
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Nicole Whitecotton
2nd
A Community Breaking Through: The Integration of Snowden School
Louisa Walters
Snowden School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Kandy Williams
3rd
Perry Wallace: Breaking Barriers in College Basketball
Sam McNeal
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Nicole Whitecotton
SENIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY
1st
Appalachian Voices and Visions: 50 Years of Breaking Barriers Through Film
Tate Greene
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
2nd
“Unwelcomed Soldiers Invading a Fraternity”: Breaking Gender Barriers in the United States Military
Jessie Henderson
Bradley Central High School, Cleveland, Bradley County
Educator: Julie Mitchell
3rd
The Mother Who Saved Suffrage: Febb Burn’s Barrier Breaking Letter
Eli Thompson
Berean Christian School ISP, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Sharron Thompson
JUNIOR GROUP DOCUMENTARY
1st
The Perfect 36: Tennessee Burns Down Barriers in History
Zayyan Chaudhry, Ryon Ghodoussi, Connor Magdovitz, Krishnav Manga
Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Catherine Hammons
2nd
Magna Carta: Breaking Through the King’s Rules
Addison Abruzzo, Libby Harvey, Imani Reynolds, Sofia Sanmiguel
Meigs Academic Magnet Middle School, Nashville, Davidson County
Educator: Rebecca Verner
3rd
Kathrine Switzer: Breaking the Barriers of Boston
Carleigh Hughes, Caroline Irvin
Gladeville Middle School, Mount Juliet, Wilson County
Educator: Amy Wilken
SENIOR GROUP DOCUMENTARY
1st
Never to be Repeated: How the Tragedy of Hiroshima Shaped Modern Society
Kendall Grimes, Kate O’Hara, Sara Grace Harney, Julia Weber
Battle Ground Academy, Franklin, Williamson County
Educator: Betsy Van Jura
2nd
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Fischer Blair, Michael Maxwell, Alexander Pittman, Keanan Resendes
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Karen Stanish
3rd
Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo
Chloe Porter, John Walker
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Derek Griffin
JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT
1st
Junko Tabei: The Mountain Queen
Reese Ottinger
Nolachuckey Elementary School, Greeneville, Greene County
Educator: Joshua Arrowood
2nd
Educator, Astronomer, Activist: This is Maria Mitchell
Ashlynn York
Northeast Middle School, Clarksville, Montgomery County
Educator: Ryan Darling
3rd
Susan la Flesche : Defy Gender and Cultural Expectations
Trish Zheng
Gladeville Middle School, Lebanon, Wilson County
Educator: Katy Mosley
SENIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT
1st
Mendez v. Westminster: The Trailblazer that Led the Way to School Desegregation
Alicia Dinwiddie
Summit High School, Spring Hill, Williamson County
Educator: Jackie Zigelsky
2nd
Filthy as Charged: The Civil Sickness of Mary Mallon
Kirby Renalds
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Derek Griffin
3rd
Breaking Barriers: Crossing The Color Line
Xavier Shaw
Battle Ground Academy, Franklin, Williamson County
Educator: Raymond Blair
JUNIOR GROUP EXHIBIT
1st
“Pushing Barriers for Equality’s Sake”: Theotis Robinson Jr. and the Integration of the University of Tennessee
Molly Bohanan, Evan White
New Center Elementary School, Sevierville, Sevier County
Educator: Rebecca Byrd
2nd
The Navajo Code Talkers: Breaking Barriers With the Unbroken Code
Kat McBride, Elika Eshraghi, Clara Wilson
Meigs Academic Magnet Middle School, Nashville, Davidson County
Educator: Stephanie Clemson
3rd
Zamrock: Zambia’s Rock Rebellion
Carson Donoho, Cayden Hundley, Jaise King, Hudson Murphy,
Lukas Varden
Spring Station Middle School, Spring Hill, Williamson County
Educator: Christopher Harrod
SENIOR GROUP EXHIBIT
1st
All Power to the People: The Black Panther Party Breaking
the Barriers of Social Injustice
Kennede Boyd, Shalynn Matlock
Northeast High School, Clarksville, Montgomery County
Educator: Lisa Casey
2nd
The Erie Canal: Breaking the Barrier to the West
A.J. Camacho, Campbell Koella, Hannah Rasmussen
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
3rd
“An American Maestro” Leonard Bernstein’s Barrier Breaking Musical Career
Kara England, Rachel England
Spring Hill High School, Columbia, Maury County
Educator: Scott Johnson
JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
1st
Helen Keller: No Boundaries to Courage and Faith
Eve Hutchinson
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
2nd
Fertility Breakthrough! IVF and The First Test Tube Baby
Mackenzie Egan
Gladeville Middle School, Mount Juliet, Wilson County
Educator: Amy Wilken
3rd
Nellie Bly: Breaking Barriers Worldwide
Helen Liulevicius
St. John Neumann Catholic School, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Joe Caldwell
SENIOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
1st
Memphis Sanitation Strike: Breaking Barriers Towards Equality
Samit Ahmed
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Andre Clarke
2nd
Nashville Sit-Ins: Breaking Barriers at Lunch Counters
Nia Yusuf
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Andre Clarke
3rd
The Untold Story of Cornelia Fort: Breaking Through the
Clouds for Women Military Pilots
Harlee Taylor
Cosby High School, Cosby, Cocke County
Educator: Hillery Griffin
JUNIOR GROUP PERFORMANCE
1st
Promises of Change: Jo Ann Allen and the Clinton 12’s Fight for Equal Education
Bergen Erickson, Keya Patel
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
2nd
The Eradication of the Invisible Disease (Smallpox)
Gina Harjani, Diya Patel
Pi Beta Phi Elementary School, Gatlinburg, Sevier County
Educator: Cindy Flynn
3rd
Getting Past the Nazis: The Story Of Irena Sendler And The Warsaw Ghetto
Ainsley Bronze, Emerson Couch, Lucie DeGaetano, Bella Durst
Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Hamilton County
Educator: Ralph Covino
SENIOR GROUP PERFORMANCE
1st
The Tennessee Convict Lease System: Abolishing Slavery by Another Name
Cailin Brown, Dalia Chemaitilly, Ali Devji, Jad Hamze, Isabel Kagoo
Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Christopher Sutton
2nd
“Go Home Grandma!”: The First Woman to Solo Hike the Appalachian Trail
Kaley Hunter, Lillian Trout, Rylan Vickers, Aliyah Wenneker
HUB Homeschool Co-Op, Lynnville, Giles County
Educator: Tammy L. Vickers
3rd
Riding Towards Freedom
Kendall Rizer, Anabel Wilson
Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Hamilton County
Educator: Reed Dillard
JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE
1st
Motown Records: The Sound that Transcended Race
Nashla Rodriguez Moncion
Northeast Middle School, Clarksville, Montgomery County
Educator: Aimee Hoffman
2nd
Muhammad Yunus: Breaking the Barrier of Poverty through Microcredit
Fayadh Chowdhury
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Nisreen Malley
3rd
Man of Space: The German Who Got Us to the Moon: Breaking Barriers Rocketing into Space
Alex Vetter
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Nicole Whitecotton
SENIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE
1st
Marguerite Higgins: Paving the Way for Female Correspondents
Gail Meyers
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Derek Griffin
2nd
Photography: The New Frontier of Information
Paul Lohman
Battle Ground Academy, Franklin, Williamson County
Educator: Alana Gilmore
3rd
Poll Taxes: The Barrier of Voting Equality
Daniel Jeong
McCallie School, Chattanooga, Hamilton County
Educator: Duke Richey
JUNIOR GROUP WEBSITE
1st
Extirpating the Speckled Monster: Surmounting Barriers to Physical Well-Being
Zaheen Chowdhury, Yasmeen Mannan
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Andre Clarke
2nd
Penicillin: A Modern Medical Miracle
Charles Burke, Duncan Gilpatric, Thomas Theriot
Bearden Middle School, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Maureen Schenk
3rd
A New Era For the Navajo
Lauren Arnold, Hannah Davis, Reiley Schmid
Spring Station Middle School, Spring Hill, Williamson County
Educator: Christopher Harrod
SENIOR GROUP WEBSITE
1st
Crescents and Crosses: Breaking Barriers in the Midst of Religious Conflict
Manal Aboushala, Naisha Chowdhury,
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Andre Clarke
2nd
Internet Connections Through Barriers
Adam Abdelrahman, Tyler Chan, Lucas Couch
L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: Karen Stanish
3rd
The Man Who Broke the Racial Barrier at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: Dr. Horace Traylor
Claire Mitchell, Meghan Wilson, Reagan Ziegler
Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga, Hamilton County
Educator: Ralph Covino
JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL PAPER
1st
Laying Tracks: The Golden Spike that Tamed a Continent
Lukas Bowen
Bearden Middle School, Knoxville, Knox County
Educator: David McGinnis
2nd
Nellie Bly: The Woman Who Shattered a Barrier with Every Word She Wrote
Julia Wolf-Dubin
Meigs Academic Magnet Middle School, Nashville, Davidson County
Educator: Stephanie Clemson
3rd
John Muir: Preservation of Wild Lands and the Founding of the National Parks
Alex Eddlemon
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
SENIOR INDIVIDUAL PAPER
1st
United We Stand: Chinese Triumph over America’s Exclusion Era
Erica Friedman
University School of Nashville, Nashville, Davidson County
Educator: Patricia Miletich
2nd
Breaking the Ideological Barrier: Lafayette’s Commitment, Success, and Legacy in the American Revolution
Jiayi Li
McCallie School, Chattanooga, Hamilton County
Educator: Duke Richey
3rd
The Haitian Revolution: Breaking Barriers in a Eurocentric World Order
Zahra Chowdhury
Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Andre Clarke
2020 SPECIAL AWARDS
BEST PROJECT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, JUNIOR DIVISION
sponsored by the Tennessee Historical Society
Promises of Change: Jo Ann Allen and the Clinton 12’s Fight for Equal Education
Junior Group Performance
Bergen Erickson, Keya Patel
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
BEST PROJECT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, SENIOR DIVISION
sponsored by the Tennessee Historical Society
Sheriff W.T. Cate and the Knoxville Riot of 1919: Breaking Social and Racial Barriers through Courageous Service
Senior Individual Paper
Eden Carnes
Disco Institute, Friendsville, Blount County
Educator: Elithe Carnes
BEST PROJECT IN TENNESSEE HISTORY, JUNIOR DIVISION
sponsored by Humanities Tennessee
The Perfect 36: Tennessee Burns Down Barriers in History
Junior Group Documentary
Zayyan Chaudhry, Ryon Ghodoussi, Connor Magdovitz, Krishnav Manga
Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Catherine Hammons
BEST PROJECT IN TENNESSEE HISTORY, SENIOR DIVISION
sponsored by Humanities Tennessee
The Railroads of Memphis: Breaking Barriers
Senior Individual Paper
Simeon Betapudi
Memphis University School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Jonathan Jones
MARGARET LINDSLEY WARDEN PRIZE FOR BEST PROJECT IN WOMAN SUFFRAGE, JUNIOR DIVISION
sponsored by the 2020 Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative
The Perfect 36: Tennessee Burns Down Barriers in History
Junior Group Documentary
Zayyan Chaudhry, Ryon Ghodoussi, Connor Magdovitz, Krishnav Manga
Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis, Shelby County
Educator: Catherine Hammons
MARGARET LINDSLEY WARDEN PRIZE FOR BEST PROJECT IN WOMAN SUFFRAGE, SENIOR DIVISION
sponsored by the 2020 Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative
Yellow Roses, White Ribbons, and Oak Leaves: Tennessee Women Break Barriers During the Progressive Era
Senior Group Exhibit
Kaylei Malone, Haylin Ownby
Sevier County High School, Sevierville, Sevier County
Educator: Rebecca Byrd
sponsored by Friends and Family of Mitchel Mielnik
“Go Home Grandma!”: The First Woman to Solo Hike the Appalachian Trail
Senior Group Performance
Kaley Hunter, Lillian Trout, Rylan Vickers, Aliyah Wenneker
HUB Homeschool Co-Op, Lynnville, Giles County
Educator: Tammy L. Vickers
sponsored by Society of Tennessee Archivists
Promises of Change: Jo Ann Allen and the Clinton 12’s Fight for Equal Education
Junior Group Performance
Bergen Erickson, Keya Patel
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
sponsored by Society of Tennessee Archivists
Appalachian Voices and Visions: 50 Years of Breaking Barriers Through Film
Senior Individual Documentary
Tate Greene
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
sponsored by the Andrew Jackson Foundation
The Erie Canal: Breaking the Barrier to the West
Senior Group Exhibit
A.J. Camacho, Campbell Koella, Hannah Rasmussen
Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, Blount County
Educator: Liz Shugart
sponsored by the Oral History Association
WASP: The Program That Helped Women’s Rights Take Flight
Senior Group Exhibit
Jackie Dinwiddie, Eli Martin, Morgan Schelling
Summit High School, Spring Hill, Williamson County
Educator: Jackie Zigelsky
PATRICIA BEHRING EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR, JUNIOR DIVISION:
Rebecca Verner, Meigs Academic Magnet Middle School, Nashville, Davidson County
Calvin Shaw, Pleasant View School, Memphis, Shelby County