Charles Co. Students earn history fair awards at HITS Expo

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held its fifth annual History, Industry, Science and Technology (HITS) Expo March 7. The Expo includes the annual science and history fair student project displays for judging. History fair awards are given in several categories annually including documentary, exhibit, historical paper, performance and website.

The following students received awards for their history fair projects.

Junior Individual Documentary

• Lucy Mudd, seventh grade, first place, Piccowaxen Middle School, “The Impact of The Wizard of Oz;”
• Alicia Warren, seventh grade, second place, General Smallwood Middle School, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall;” and
• Nicole Di Bella, seventh grade, third place, Milton M. Somers Middle School, “Katherine Johnson: Breaking Barriers in NASA.”

Junior Group Documentary

• Leah Hill and Brooklyn Parnell, sixth grade, first place, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “Tuskegee Airmen;”
• Adriena Fotopoulos and Kristina Hammond, seventh grade, second place, Matthew Henson Middle School, “Alvin Ailey;” and
• Monica Jones and Zoey Washington, seventh grade, third place, Henson, “March on Washington.”

Junior Individual Exhibit

• Jason Gregory, seventh grade, first place, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, “Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier;”
• Joshua Johnson, seventh grade, second place, Mattawoman Middle School, “Brown v. Board of Education: Removing Barriers of Educational Segregation;” and
• Rebekah Ainerua, seventh grade, third place, Davis, “Ruby Bridges: Breaking Barriers in School Segregation.”

Junior Group Exhibit

• Kristina Brillantes and Marissa VanMeter, eighth grade, first place, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “The Discovery of Penicillin;”
• Nathaniel McLeod and Eliot Puma, seventh grade, second place, Henson, “Atomic Bomb;” and
• Ayden Bragg, Aaden Haight and Phillip Hawkins, seventh grade, third place, Somers, “The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Senior Individual Exhibit

• Matthew Fialkowski, freshman, first place, Maurice J. McDonough High School, “Bloody Sunday: Breaking Barriers for Voting Rights.”

Senior Group Exhibit

• Mykhaela Dyer and Candace Neeb, seniors, first place, McDonough, “How the Little Rock Nine Broke Barriers.”

Junior Historical Paper

• Ethan Kindrick, seventh grade, first place, Somers, “Apollo 11: Man on the Moon;”
• Justine Fulcher, seventh grade, second place, Somers, “How Sandra Day O’Connor Became the First Woman on the Supreme Court;” and
• Amir Furby, seventh grade, third place, Smallwood, “The Struggle for Civil Rights: Malcolm X.”

Senior Historical Paper

• Naysa Young, junior, first place, McDonough, “The Exorcist.”

Junior Individual Performance

• Skylan Brassell, sixth grade, first place, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Rachel Carson: Breaking the Barriers of Chauvinism in Society and Science to Become the Voice of Conservation;”
• Lauren Compton, seventh grade, second grade, Piccowaxen, “The British Invasion: A Soundtrack that Changed America Forever;” and
• Esther Bonney, eighth grade, third place, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Jane Goodall: The Secretary Who Redefined Science, and the Woman Who Redefined Man.”

Junior Group Performance

• Morgan Grove and Jessica Pratta, seventh grade, first place, Piccowaxen, “Breaking Barriers: Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the Fight for Women’s Rights at the Seneca Falls Convention;” and
• Donovan De La Cruz and Johnathan Watson, seventh grade, second place, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “The Invention of the Shot Clock.”

Junior Individual Website

• Conley Onyeador, seventh grade, first place, Henson, “The Great Depression;”
• Tiffany Zhang, seventh grade, second place, Mattawoman, “Women in WWI: Nora Saltonstall and Margaret Hall;” and
• Jacob Reginald, seventh grade, third place, Henson, “The First Woman to Be Elected Head of Government.”

Junior Group Website

• Jillian Daniel and Kathyrn Daniel, seventh grade, first place, Hanson, “Katherine Johnson: Breaking Gender and Racial Barriers.”

The following students received special awards:

• Amiya Jones, seventh grade, Henson, “Breaking Barriers: Zelda Wynn Valdes,” award from the African American Heritage Society of Charles County;
• Sakaya Hooks, seventh grade, Somers, “Traveling While Black: Secret Code Book,” award from the African American Heritage Society of Charles County;
• Kristen Reed, seventh grade, Henson, “Stokely Carmichael and His Contribution to Social Change,” award from Sigma Alpha Lambda, Inc.;
• Karis Alphonso, Kerstin Carle and Lauren Roberson, seventh grade, Hanson, “Ruby Bridges: Breaking Barriers,” award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.;
• Madison Broady, seventh grade, Mattawoman, “Thurgood Marshall: The First African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice,” award from the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland;
• Jada McCallam, seventh grade, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, “Pauline Frederick,” award from the Charles County Commissioner for Women;
• Kelsey Garrity, seventh grade, Henson, “Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
• Cristian Moore, seventh grade, Henson, “Thurgood Marshall,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
• Jada Massey, seventh grade, Hanson, “Women’s Rights: The Fight Continues,” award from the Daughters of the American Revolution;
• Esther Bonney, eighth grade, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Jane Goodall: The Secretary Who Redefined Science, and the Woman Who Redefined Man,” award from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.;
• Kaela Rawlings, seventh grade, Hanson, “Marie Curie: The Woman Who Broke Many Barriers,” award from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.;
• Hannah Rison, eighth grade, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “Mary Cassatt: Breaking Barriers in the Art World,” award from the U.S. Daughters of 1812;
• Kyla Bulls, seventh grade, Mattawoman, “The Women’s Suffrage Movement,” award from the Historical Society of Charles County;
• Donovan Randall, seventh grade, Smallwood, “Martin Luther King, Jr.,” award from the Historical Society of Charles County;
• Naysa Young, junior, McDonough, “The Exorcist,” award from the Port Tobacco Players;
• Ava Rowledge, seventh grade, Somers, “Dancing into the Spotlight: Stella Abrera Breaks Racial Boundaries in the Dance Community,” award from the Port Tobacco Players;
• Libby Wilkerson, sixth grade, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “Margaret Abbott: Never too Late to Celebrate,” award from the Friendship House Foundation; and
• Reece Hart, seventh grade, Henson, “Madam C.J. Walker,” award from the Friendship House Foundation.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,521 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.