Kentucky Association of Teachers of History

The Kentucky History Society organized the National History Day (NHD)competitions again this year, and approximately 3,000 students advanced to the state competition held at the University of Kentucky on Saturday April 25th. Fifty-seven  Kentucky students advanced in Kentucky to qualify for the national contest. Of those, five Kentucky students advanced to the final round of competition and placed among the top 15 places in their respective divisions at the NHD contest in College Park, Maryland, June 14-18th.

• Amir Abou-Jaoude, Henry Clay High School (Lexington) with his Senior Essay, “Richard Wagner and the Legacy of the Leitmotif.” Abou-Jaoude won the “Salute to Courage” award for Kentucky from The National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Jonathan McClintock was his teacher. The prize carries a paid trip to the museum to coincide with the opening of a new exhibit. (See the KHS Twitter picture of Amir learning of his award – Amir is in the front row, middle, in a light blue shirt.)
• Catherine Bache, Kentucky Country Day School (Louisville) with her Senior Individual Performance, “One Hundred Years and Counting: The Vision of Juliette Gordon Low.” Lisa Bache was her teacher.
• Nicholas Imam, Winburn Middle School (Lexington) with his Junior Individual Documentary, “Dr. Michael DeBakey: Pumping Innovation for the Future.” Theresa Buczek was his teacher.
• Kevin Jing and Rehan Ghanta, Winburn Middle School (Lexington) with their Junior Group Website, “Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Ideas that Shaped America.” Michelle Cason and Theresa Buczek were their teachers. (See their website here.) Jing and Ghanta were named best in state among junior division entries.
• Joanna Slusarewicz, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Lexington) with her Senior Individual Documentary, “Pulling the Teeth: How a Collision between Leaders Left a Lasting Legacy on the Federal Banking System.” Allison Roberts was her teacher. Slusarewicz was named best in state for senior division entries and received a full scholarship to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Congratulations to these students, their families and especially to their history teachers throughout their academic careers!

*** see also ***

• NHD evaluation guidelines
• Call for NHD Judges 2015