Ridgewood Students Finish Top 10 At National History Day Contest

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A team of Ridgewood High School students recently finished in the top 10 of the National History Day National Contest in the Senior Group Documentary category.

Isabella Harelick, Isabel Lee, Paul Nasr, and Alice Zhang joined more than half a million students globally who completed projects in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.

The Ridgewood High students chose documentary, creating a piece on investigative journalist Sir Harold Evans and his reporting of the thalidomide scandal.

Top students from all 50 states earn a spot in the national contest, meaning the students had to win the state level contest prior to competing nationally. Read more: Ridgewood High Students Qualify For National History Day Contest

“To make it to the National Contest is always a remarkable achievement,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn.

“Given the added challenges this year due to the ongoing pandemic, I was heartened to see NHD students prove themselves once more and persevere despite adversity. The critical thinking and research skills these students learned through competing in NHD will serve them and provide a solid foundation for success throughout their academic and professional careers.”

More than 400 historians and education professionals served as judges for the students’ work, and, as with all other aspects of the contest this year, the judging was conducted remotely.

More than 100 students from across the country were awarded cash prizes between $500 and $2,000 for "superior work in specific judging categories."