The National History Day (NHD) competition in the Long Island Region is an academic event where students from middle and high schools come together to showcase their historical research and critical thinking skills.This event is part of a nationwide competition that encourages students to explore history through research, interpretation and presentation in a variety of creative formats. In the Long Island Region alone, around 700 participants typically compete, demonstrating the region’s strong engagement with history education.

This year’s theme is "Rights and Responsibilities," which challenges students to explore how individuals, groups and governments have grappled with the concepts of rights and responsibilities throughout history. Herricks students competed in all categories from writing papers, performing original scripts, creating websites, designing exhibits and developing documentaries.

Herricks Middle School Junior Level Results

The 2025 Middle School team, under the guidance of Ms. Amanda Banke and Ms. Jodi Thompson, demonstrated exceptional skill in both research and project development. The dedication and hard work of these teachers were instrumental in preparing the students for such a high level of competition, while the students' perseverance and determination were key to overcoming the challenges of the intense contest. This year, 11 outstanding projects were submitted to Hofstra, with 3 of them standing out in highly competitive categories and securing well-deserved victories. The Junior Level is packed with schools from across Long Island with 100s of project submissions. The top projects advance to the state level in April.

The following students won awards:

1st Place Junior Group Performance

Title: The Forgotten Right to Accessibility: Section 504 and the Responsibility of the Government to Advocate for All

• Neha Paul
• Maya Purohit
• Aanika St. Jean
• Zarah Zahir

2nd Place Junior Individual Performance

Title: The Failed Protection of Chinese Immigrant Women Rights

• Eliana Lau

3rd Place Junior Group Performance:

Title: I am an American: How the US Government failed to protect the rights of Japanese Americans during WWII

• Katarina Joseph
• Abigail Mannino
• Lianna Mathew
• Liliana Paciaroni

Herricks High School Senior Level Results

This year, the senior division High School team reached an unprecedented milestone, becoming the largest it has ever been, and under the expert leadership of Ms. Samantha Gerantabee and Dr. Melissa Jacobs, the team had one of its most successful years to date. This remarkable achievement is a direct result of the tireless dedication of these educators, who commit thousands of hours to provide individual guidance, expert editing, and critical development for each project and student. Their unwavering support has been integral to the program’s continued excellence. The years of high-level performance are a testament to the vision and commitment of these teachers, who have spent more than two decades shaping this program into the finest of its kind on Long Island. With their mentorship, students not only enhance their technical skills but also cultivate essential qualities such as critical thinking, creative innovation, collaboration, communication, and confidence. These are the core values at the heart of Herricks Schools’ mission, and they are brought to life through this program.

At this competition, the Herricks Senior Division set itself apart with the most award-winning projects of any high school across Long Island. Out of 25 projects, 14 earned prestigious awards, and 11 of those will go on to represent Herricks at the State Competition in Oneonta this April. The strength of this program and its students continues to reflect the exceptional caliber of education and mentorship that Herricks is proud to offer.

The Following Students won awards:

Senior Papers:

First Place

Title: The Pride Movement: Fighting for LGBTQ+ Rights and Responsibility From the Government

• William Andrews

Second Place

Title: “The ‘Fatal Lottery’: Constitutional Rights When Facing Death”

• Kenisha Dass

Senior Group Exhibit

First Place

Title: Legal Looting: The Recovery and Restitution of Nazi Stolen Art

• Rania Gupta
• Sanika Patel

Second Place

Title: Apartheid, Activism, and its Aftermath

• Taylor Qiu
• Xennie Liu
• Nuha Maruf
• Ishpreet Pahuja
• Amber Parmar

Senior Individual Exhibit

First Place

Title: The Right to Register, the Responsibility to Vote: Freedom Summer

• Daphne Ren

Third Place

Title: Love Canal Toxic Terror: The Creation of The Superfund

• Havir Singh

Senior Group Documentary

First Place

Title: Medical Malfeasance: The Thalidomide Tragedy

• Diane Noh
• Lucy Liu
• David Noh
• Maximilian Peng

Second Place

Title: The Creation and Dropping of the First Atomic Bomb: The Right of National Security v. Ethical Responsibility

• Emma Su
• Jubilee Kim
• Rachel Ha
• Romaan Sattar

Senior Individual Documentary

Title: Carrying the Wounds of Our Soldiers: The Veterans Health Administration

• Daneen Gondal

Senior Group Performance

First Place

Title: Silent Sentinels

• Monami Prithi
• Olivia Abraham
• Harmanpreet Kaur
• Jessica Singh

Second Place

Title: Maralinga Nuclear Testing

• Zain Uttamchandani
• Gauhar Rana
• Aneek Patel
• Wayan Lin
• Joshua Ninan

Third Place

Title: Introducing America to Americans: the Farm Security Administration's Portrait of a Nation

• Rhea Mandel
• Calista Domingo

Individual Performance

Third Place

Title: The Coda to Censorship: Mstislav Rostropovich Plays Ad Libitum

• Caroline Kim

Group Website

Second Place

Title: Rights Violated, Responsibilities Ignored: The Comfort Women Tragedy

• Kayla Hsu
• Rebecca Song

Finalists:

Individual Documentary

Titled: Lost in the Dust: The West Virginia Mine Wars

• Jessica Lee

Individual Website

Titled: "The Right to Die": Death with Dignity and the Fight for Responsibility Over End-of-Life Rights

• Wenshu Wang