Three Newark Public Schools Students Advance to National History Day Statewide Competition

NEWARK, N.J. – Three American History High School (AHHS) students have advanced to the National History Day (NHD) statewide competition after winning in specific categories at the regional competition hosted by Monmouth University on Saturday.

Seniors Cerice Barron, Shirley Pino, and Ashley Pexia won first place in the Group Exhibition category with their research project on the Haitian Revolution. They will compete in the statewide competition to be held on May 2^nd at William Paterson University.

The project was created under the guidance of their faculty advisor, Angela Johnson, who is the school’s Social Studies department chair and teaches AP African American Studies. A total of 13 AHHS students competed on Saturday in the school’s first appearance in a NHD competition.

“Cece, Shirley, and Ashley have achieved something truly remarkable in American History High School’s first appearance in the National History Day competition,” said Superintendent León. “Their scholarship, creativity, and command of historical research exemplify the excellence we expect from Newark Public Schools students. I am enormously proud of these young historians, their teacher Ms. Johnson, and the entire AHHS community for showing what is possible when talent is nurtured, supported, and encouraged to shine on a statewide stage.”

“These outstanding students are proving once again that Newark’s young people are among the most gifted and capable scholars in New Jersey,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “Advancing to the state round in their first-ever National History Day competition is an extraordinary achievement. On behalf of the Board, I congratulate Cece, Shirley, and Ashley for their exceptional work, and I extend sincere appreciation to Ms. Johnson and the American History High School community for inspiring students to explore history with both rigor and passion.”

 “We are absolutely thrilled for Cece, Shirley, and Ashley,” said Principal Margaret Murray. “Their project on the Haitian Revolution demonstrates the intellectual curiosity, research skills, and analytical depth we work hard to cultivate at American History High School. This recognition is especially meaningful because it marks our very first entry into National History Day. I am grateful to Ms. Johnson for her leadership, and I could not be prouder of all 13 students who represented our school with distinction at the regional competition.”

Each year, more than half a million students throughout the country participate in the National History Day Contest. Students choose a historical topic related to the annual theme and then conduct primary and secondary research. This year’s theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. After students have analyzed and interpreted their sources and have drawn a conclusion about the significance of their topic, they present their work in one of five ways: as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a website.