Rockwood School District: Crestview Middle Student To Represent Missouri At National History Day Contest

Press release from the Rockwood School District:

May 25, 2021

For the second year in a row, Crestview Middle student Rohan Deshpande will represent the state of Missouri at the National History Day (NHD) contest. Rohan was one of the 18 category winners at the NHD in Missouri contest in April who advanced to the national round, taking first place in Junior Individual Documentary. The NHD contest will be held virtually from June 13-19, complete with activities, workshops and presenters to keep the students engaged in their learning."I feel really great winning the state competition again because not many people can say they've won the NHD state competition, let alone twice," Rohan said. "I am also excited for the National competition, which will be a really great experience and motivation for me." More than ​5,000 students in grades 6-12 participate in the National History Day in Missouri program each year, and more than 400 students advance t​o the state competition. Each project is unique, a result of exten​sive research and creativity from a student or group. The program encourages students to present their findings through documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances or websites."Rohan has an amazing passion and knowledge for history," said Crestview academic stretch teacher Megan Burian. "What makes him so successful is he has this willingness to continue to learn and grow as he researches and analyzes. He's not afraid to change his mind on something or make changes to an idea he had because he recognizes the need to do that as he's finding new sources and different ideas."This year's NHS theme is "Communication in History." Rohan's documentary, titled "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: How Photography in Conflict Shaped the World," centers on photography documenting important moments in history and how the images have molded the public discourse, from Civil War photography to the smartphones and "citizen journalists" of today.Rohan's 10-minute project combines still images, video clips, portions of a Zoom interview he recorded with an expert on conflict photography and Rohan's own narration."Photography has a key influence in recent events by impacting politics, human rights, censorship and public opinion," Rohan said. "I've always had a passion for making videos since documentaries can convey more from images and voiceovers than a paper. I was really inspired by PBS documentaries when I was younger, and I have wanted to make a documentary just like those ever since." Rohan and the rest of the Crestview NHD Club members began working with Burian on their projects in September. At the regional qualifier in February, five of the students moved on to the state competition."I am very proud of all the students who participated this year," Burian said. "For them to take on such an academic project outside of class and put so much time and effort into it speaks volumes about their passion for history. It was a really cool experience to do it with all of them."In addition to winning his category at states, Rohan also earned the Dr. Howard E. Croteau Prize. "I want to say thank you to my teacher, Mrs. Burian, for starting NHD at Crestview and supporting me every step of the way," Rohan said. "History is an important subject and often overlooked. I hope my story inspires others to do NHD and study history."

For the second year in a row, Crestview Middle student Rohan Deshpande will represent the state of Missouri at the National History Day (NHD) contest. Rohan was one of the 18 category winners at the NHD in Missouri contest in April who advanced to the national round, taking first place in Junior Individual Documentary. The NHD contest will be held virtually from June 13-19, complete with activities, workshops and presenters to keep the students engaged in their learning."I feel really great winning the state competition again because not many people can say they've won the NHD state competition, let alone twice," Rohan said. "I am also excited for the National competition, which will be a really great experience and motivation for me." More than ​5,000 students in grades 6-12 participate in the National History Day in Missouri program each year, and more than 400 students advance t​o the state competition. Each project is unique, a result of exten​sive research and creativity from a student or group. The program encourages students to present their findings through documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances or websites."Rohan has an amazing passion and knowledge for history," said Crestview academic stretch teacher Megan Burian. "What makes him so successful is he has this willingness to continue to learn and grow as he researches and analyzes. He's not afraid to change his mind on something or make changes to an idea he had because he recognizes the need to do that as he's finding new sources and different ideas."This year's NHS theme is "Communication in History." Rohan's documentary, titled "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: How Photography in Conflict Shaped the World," centers on photography documenting important moments in history and how the images have molded the public discourse, from Civil War photography to the smartphones and "citizen journalists" of today.Rohan's 10-minute project combines still images, video clips, portions of a Zoom interview he recorded with an expert on conflict photography and Rohan's own narration."Photography has a key influence in recent events by impacting politics, human rights, censorship and public opinion," Rohan said. "I've always had a passion for making videos since documentaries can convey more from images and voiceovers than a paper. I was really inspired by PBS documentaries when I was younger, and I have wanted to make a documentary just like those ever since." Rohan and the rest of the Crestview NHD Club members began working with Burian on their projects in September. At the regional qualifier in February, five of the students moved on to the state competition."I am very proud of all the students who participated this year," Burian said. "For them to take on such an academic project outside of class and put so much time and effort into it speaks volumes about their passion for history. It was a really cool experience to do it with all of them."In addition to winning his category at states, Rohan also earned the Dr. Howard E. Croteau Prize. "I want to say thank you to my teacher, Mrs. Burian, for starting NHD at Crestview and supporting me every step of the way," Rohan said. "History is an important subject and often overlooked. I hope my story inspires others to do NHD and study history."

This press release was produced by the Rockwood School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.