Winning Projects Announced at Annual History Day Competition

The 2026 Merced County History Day competition came to a close on Feb.27, where more than 100 middle school students gathered to showcase their research skills. 

A total of 55 projects were submitted across elementary and junior grade levels, with students from Hoover Middle, Cruickshank Middle, Peggy Heller Elementary and Rivera Middle Schools participating in the competition. 

Student projects spanned a wide range of historical topics centered on the theme Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. Projects included exhibits, websites, documentaries, podcasts and student performances.

The competition, sponsored by Travis Credit Union, concluded with an awards ceremony where winners were announced and recognized for their work. In addition to the gold award winners, several projects also received honorable mentions for the quality of research and the innovative approaches taken with their projects.  
 
Many students from the competition are eligible to advance to California History Day, where they will compete against students from across the state for a chance to participate at the national level.

The following projects earned gold awards:
DOCUMENTARY 
Hannah Farmer, Adela Ostreicher and Olivia Diaz, Hoover Middle, “1975 Women’s Day Off Strike”
Luz Perez-Vasquez, Hoover Middle, “ Representative Government over Absolute Monarchy - The Age of Enlightenment; An intellectual Revolution to Reform Unquestioned Traditional Authority and Influence Democratic Reaction”
 
PODCAST
Adison Martinez, Amelia Castleton and Gabriella O'Connor, Hoover Middle, “The Raucous Ride of Rock and Roll”
Emma Romero, Peggy Heller Elementary, “The Effects of the Industrial Revolution on Children”
 
PERFORMANCE
Zoe O'Donnell and Emily Shaw, Hoover Middle School, “The Radium Girls' Fight for Justice: The Jaw Dropping Truth”
Delissa Mejia-Guzman, Peggy Heller Elementary, “The Fail of Humanity”

POSTER
Abril Molinero-Castaneda and Sehadejeep Sandu, Peggy Heller Elementary, “How Computers Revolutionized the Way We See the World”

EXHIBIT
Lilyana Alvarez and Kalsoom Alokozai, Rivera Elementary, “The Boxer Rebellion”
Genevieve Royal, Peggy Heller Elementary, “A Shot at Change: The Polio Vaccine and a Public Health Revolution”

WEBSITE
Milla Flores and Lucas Unger-Ramirez, Hoover Middle School, “Trinity: Scientific Revolution, Global Reaction, and Struggle for Nuclear Reform”
Elena Moradzadeh, Hoover Middle, “Religion in Print: How the Gutenberg Printing Press Revolutionized Faith”