Texas students take top honors at National History Day

Seventy-six Texas History Day students competed at the 2026 National History Day contest at the University of Maryland, where Texas entries earned first- and second-place finishes and appeared in every national showcase. Texas was the only state represented across all four showcases, underscoring the depth of the state’s history pipeline and the reach of its student projects.

Why it matters: - Texas students did more than place well at National History Day. They were the only state represented in all four national showcases, signaling unusually broad performance across project types. - The result reflects a strong statewide history program that moved students from local contests to a national stage with more than 3,000 competitors from all 50 states, international schools, and U.S. territories. - The showing also highlights how student history projects can build research, writing, performance, and presentation skills that educators say matter beyond the contest.

What happened: - The Texas State Historical Association recognized 76 Texas History Day students who competed at the National History Day contest at the University of Maryland from June 14-18, 2026. - Texas students earned multiple top finishes, including three national first-place awards and two national second-place awards. - Texas entries were also selected for every national showcase hosted by partner institutions in Washington-area museums and archives. - Kimberly Peña, TSHA’s director of education, said the experience shows students choosing to become active researchers with critical thinking skills.

The details: - National first place went to Emery Hobson, Mya Kacal and Sarah Jackson of Lake Belton Middle School in Belton for a junior group documentary on Sesame Street and children’s television reform. - National first place also went to Austin Thomas, David Orellana and Jack Pettine of Baytown Junior High in Baytown for a junior group exhibit on revolution, reaction and reform in football. - Karol Arriaga, Isabella Castaneda Garcia, Damian Ledezma and Sergio Cisneros of Rivera Early College High School in Brownsville took first place in senior group performance for a project on the Space Race. - National second place went to Nora Gillum of Dripping Springs Middle School for a junior individual website on Elvis Presley and 1950s America. - A second national runner-up finish went to Arko Barua, Arya Gurumukhi, Amrutha Veeramaneni, Collin Nguyen and Nanditha Sharath of Plano East Senior High School for a senior group website on the “God Committee” and federal healthcare policy. - Selah Smith of Austin Classical School in Austin earned the junior outstanding entry from Texas for a performance on Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. - Amy Hernandez, Savannah Acarto, Serenity Acarto and Zoe Mauricio of Bryan Collegiate High School in Bryan earned the senior outstanding entry from Texas for an exhibit on Upton Sinclair and meatpacking reform. - The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History displayed 58 exhibits, one from each affiliate, including Texas’s senior group exhibit on the 1917 El Paso Bath Riots by Abel Castanon, Giuliana Williams and Matthew Rodriguez of Andress High School in El Paso. - The National Museum of African American History and Culture hosted the documentary showcase, where Texas had two entries: Lake Belton Middle School’s junior group documentary on Sesame Street and Lake Belton High School’s senior group documentary, “The Forgotten Story.” - The National Archives hosted the website showcase, where Alexandre Lopez of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Bryan represented Texas with a junior individual website on the Whiskey Tax and the young American republic. - The White House Historical Association hosted the paper showcase, where Naureen Hossain of Austin Peace Academy represented Texas with a junior paper on the Fourteenth Amendment, Southern resistance and civil rights legacy. - National History Day is a nonprofit based in College Park, Maryland, that says its contest reaches more than half a million students each year. - Texas History Day, sponsored by TSHA, is a yearlong program for students in grades six through twelve and drew more than 1,000 participants in 2026. - More information is available on National History Day and on Texas History Day.

Between the lines: - Texas’s sweep across all showcases suggests the state’s students were competitive not only in judging but across the contest’s full range of formats, from exhibits to papers to documentaries. - The spread of topics also points to a broad historical scope, with projects covering children’s media, sports, public health, civil rights, taxation and the Space Race. - The national theme, “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History,” likely helped reward projects that connected specific events to larger historical change.

What’s next: - Texas History Day will continue as a yearlong feeder program into future state and national contests. - TSHA said it will keep supporting students, educators, parents and mentors who prepare entries for future competitions. - National History Day will continue its annual contest cycle at the University of Maryland, with students advancing through local and affiliate rounds before reaching nationals.

The bottom line: - Texas turned in one of its strongest National History Day performances in recent memory, combining top awards with unmatched showcase representation.