Three exceptional Huntington High School sophomores made a splash at State History Day in Cooperstown, winning over a set of judges who don’t impress easily and garnering a highly prized special award.
The research project team of Abigail Holmes, Madelyn Kye and Gabriel Medina-Jaudes claimed the Fort Ticonderoga Colonial History Award for their group exhibit titled: The Flushing Remonstrance and John Bowne: 360 Years of Refusing to Compromise on Religious Freedom.
“Having never personally heard of the Flushing Remonstrance, I learned an incredible about of United States history from Maddy, Gabe and Abby’s group exhibit,” said social studies teacher Lauren Desiderio, who coordinates Huntington’s National History Day initiative. “They went above and beyond uncovering research about the importance of Flushing and religious tolerance. This truly remarkable historical document is considered by many historians to be the predecessor to the First Amendment and I find it stunning that I had never heard of it prior to their National History Day project!”
The three Huntington sophomores were all in Cooperstown for the state finals and were sensational during their presentation to the judges. “We are so grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in State History Day,” Ms. Kye said. “We gained a lot of perspective from our project, which focused on religious intolerance. We look forward to doing even better next year.”
The teenagers thoroughly enjoyed their time spent in the enchanted Village of Cooperstown. “My favorite part was probably exploring the town and learning more about the history of Cooperstown, as well as seeing projects from all around the state,” said Mr. Medina-Jaudes about his trip to the State History Day finals. “No matter the outcome, we are determined to keep improving and getting better.”
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The Huntington High School research project team consisting of Isabella Neira, Margaret Lalor and Moira Contino also impressed State History Day judges for their group documentary category work titled: Northern Ireland Troubles. Although the three sophomores didn’t bring home an award, the teenagers did make a recognizable splash at the state competition.
“National History Day was an amazing experience for us,” Ms. Contino said. “Not only did we enhance our love for Irish history, but we also were able to see others embrace their love for history in their projects.”
