Local High School Students Earn Honors At State History Competition

A trio of students from Houghton High School and one from Lake Linden-Hubbell High School are among those to receive top honors at the Michigan History Day State Finals competition.

Over 500 students from across the state took part in the competition held Saturday at the Bay City Central High School.

The competition is an educational program of the Historical Society of Michigan.

Troy Corrigan of Lake Linden-Hubbell was named a National Alternate in the Senior Division Individual Website for The Hungarian Revolution.

Madison Mattila and Lydia Salmi of Houghton were named National Alternates in the Senior Division Group Exhibit for The Greatest Invention of the 20^th Century: Penicillin.

Kate Desrouchers of Houghton is a National Finalist for Senior Division Individual Performance for Titanic: The Triumphs of an Unsinkable Ship and the Tragedy of a Great Maritime Disaster.

As a national finalist, Desrouchers will move on to the National History Day competition this June in College Park, Maryland.

Click here to download a PDF with the names of the winners, what school they are from and the awards they won.

“It is always inspiring to see the students so engaged with history and the diverse topics that they choose,” said Michigan History Day state coordinator Amy Bradfield. “Many students also connected this year’s theme—Triumph & Tragedy in History—to Michigan-related subjects.”

In addition, this year’s Michigan History Day State Finals witnessed several “firsts.”

·         A record-setting 175 volunteers registered to be judges for the 2019 State Finals. Judges evaluate the participants’ entries and provide constructive feedback. Two-thirds of those who signed up as judges at this year’s competition have served for two or more years.

·         Michigan History Day 2019 welcomed 19 colleges and universities as sponsors of the competition. Along with their support, the institutions set up informational booths, where students, parents, family members and teachers could visit with the representatives.

·         The graphic for 2019’s T-Shirts was designed by student Harini Dev, from Troy, who won Michigan History Day’s first-ever T-Shirt Design Contest.

Michigan History Day (National History Day in Michigan) offers a fascinating opportunity to move beyond routine learning. Based on an annual theme, students choose to explore and research a local, national or international historical topic. Students then present their work in one of five categories: performances, exhibits, papers, websites and documentaries.

Lead sponsors of Michigan History Day 2019 are The Meijer Foundation, Frederick S. Upton Foundation and Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation. The event was hosted by Bay City Public Schools.

The Historical Society of Michigan is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828 by territorial governor Lewis Cass and explorer Henry Schoolcraft. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.