MORENO VALLEY – Students toting hand-crafted poster boards and performance props were joined by student competitors who recorded podcasts, designed website pages, and produced documentary videos, at the 2025 Riverside County National History Day competition held at Canyon Springs High School on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

Featuring the 2025 theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History”, the competition featured students in grades 4-5 who participated in the poster and podcast categories, and junior division (grades 6-8) and senior division (grades 9-12) students who competed in the following individual and group categories:

• Documentary
• Performance
• Exhibit
• Website
• Podcast

“Learning from history is a powerful tool that helps students understand their world and explore how to influence their future,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “I am confident these exceptional young historians will represent Riverside County with distinction at the state competition.”

Students and families participated in an awards ceremony immediately following the day of competition and judging. The top three finishers in each category in the junior and senior division, and the top four finishers in the poster and podcast competition for 4^th and 5^th grade students, advance to the National History Day-California State Competition to be held May 1-4, 2025, at California State University, Sacramento. Winners at the state level advance to the National History Day Competition, June 8-12, 2025, at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Awards Ceremony Photo Gallery

Students from the following Riverside County school districts and private schools participated:

• Alvord USD
• Banning USD
• Corona-Norco USD
• Moreno Valley USD
• Riverside USD
• Romoland SD
• Val Verde USD
• Mission Vista Academy
• St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School
• Springs Charter School
• Sycamore Academy Charter School

The following students/projects are advancing to the National History Day-California State Competition: 

Elementary Individual Podcast

Shadow Of A Hero: Welles Remy Crowther “Man In The Red Bandana”
Alexandra Gendreau
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The 1963 Birmingham Children's Crusade: The Youth Take Action
Aashni Elayaraja
Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Women Suffrage
Cataleya Wattanachinda-Jones
Moreno Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Mariana Gutierrez
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Elementary Group Podcast

Martin Luther King
Amir Charles
Francisco Arellano
Moreno Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War
Julian Garibay
Noah Sinner
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Titanic: A Reform to Regulating the Seas
Maxx Martinez
Manuel De Alba Martinez
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Elementary Individual Poster

Women's Suffrage the Right to Vote
Elia Nevling
Boulder Ridge Elementary School, Romoland School District

Industrial Revolution in America
Navnidh Narra
Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The Lego Cloning: Patent Protection
Kristin Choi
Temescal Valley Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Unbreakable: Rights and Responsibilities of the Navajo Code Talkers
Alisa Yi
Temescal Valley Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Elementary Group Poster

Restoring Native Traditions
Melanie Avila, Ella Brock
Hemmerling Elementary School, Banning Unified School District

The Philippine Revolution
Lucia Jaimes, Samantha Houy
Temescal Valley Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Mahatma Gandhi and India’s Fight for Independence
Jash Davey, Hangyeol Kim, Nicholas Sotelo
Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg
Roxana Rivas, Esmeralda Quezada Palacio, Nadia Montano Castaneda
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Individual Documentary

Behind the Barbed Wire: The History of the Japanese American Incarceration
Andrew Del Villar
Sierra Vista Elementary School, Val Verde Unified School District

Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board and the Fight for Educational Equality
Marya Ibrahim
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Advance Directives: Your Life, Your Choice
Diya Vora
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Documentary

Rights and Responsibilities in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Swara Vasireddy, Ayesha Ashfaq, Samawiyah Aslam
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

The USA Patriot Act: Balancing Civil Liberties and the Responsibility to Protect
Rodrigo Rangel, Caleb McMahon, Donovan Benitez, Edward Hernandez
Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

Environmental Rights: Rachel Carson's Impact on Our World
Angela Ananthanathan, Ronov Ranjith
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Individual Exhibit

Sunny Days: Sesame Street’s Fight for Educational Rights, Equality, and Media Responsibility
Georgia Nunez-Corvera
Sierra Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

The New Deal: Creating Jobs, But Was It Fair?
Marina Loza
Chemawa Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Nuremberg Trials Rights and Responsibilities for Humanity
Tyson Dylan Dea
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Exhibit

Rights Erased: The Forgotten Massacre of Nanjing
Orion Baroi, Jayden Quintana, Christian Eusebio, Noah Doney
Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

The New Deal: Your Rights, Their Responsibilities
Jill Hacker, Laila Garcia
Sierra Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

The Right to Die vs. the Responsibility to Protect: The Impact of Cruzan v. Missouri
Viviana Narez, Mary Soriano
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Individual Performance

Filling Empty Spaces: American Women's Role in World War II
Dina Bakir
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Sati: A Widow's Right to Live, Society's Responsibility to Protect
Akshita Saravana
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Workers' Rights and Corporate Responsibilities: The Battle of the Homestake Lockout
Bonnie LeQuire
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Group Performance

Disability Rights Movement
Kendall Owen, Roshhan Satheeshkumar, Rohit Satheeshkumar, Belagia Faltas
El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The Bold Suffragette: The WSPU's Use of Jiu-Jitsu to Hold Parliament Responsible for Giving Them Their Rights
Sadie Rotz, Lauren Rivas, Brandon Rivas, Mila Matusevich
Mission Vista Academy

Breaking the Chains of Child Labor: The Keating Owen Act
Anchali Srirajan, Ayaan Ali
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Individual Podcast

The John Peter Zenger Trial: Defending Press Freedom and the Responsibility of Truth
Penelope Cordero
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The Right to Believe, the Responsibility to Respect: Roger Williams and the Seeds of Religious Liberty.
Melody Velasco
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Halo Of Honor: Navigating The Battlefield Angel’s Dilemma
Muzammil Khan
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Group Podcast

Margaret Sanger: The Responsibility to Protect Reproductive Rights
Malia Johnson, Daniela Cardoso, Katelyn Fisher, Athena Chacon
Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

From Silence to Solidarity: The Rights and Responsibilities That Shaped Teachers’ Unions
Elijah Holm, Lilyana Covington
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

California Water Wars: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities in the Struggle for Water Resources
Julissa Guerra, Isabella Aviles, Emily Hernandez
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Individual Website

No More Negotiations, Sign 504: How Disabled Americans fought for their Rights in the 504 Sit-In
Layla Wescott
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

The Americans With Disabilities Act: New Rights, New Responsibilities
Hannah Palardy
Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside Unified School District

From Headlines to Hysteria: How Yellow Journalism Encapsulated the Importance of Freedom of Press and Journalistic Duty
Juliet Aung
El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Website

The Chinese Exclusion Act: Rights and Responsibilities
Preston Lopez, Andrew Jetti
Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside Unified School District

The Columbine Shootings: The Rights and Responsibilities of Students
Vivian Lee, Analise Persek
El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Rights and Responsibilities: Unlocking Potential: How IDEA is Transforming Education for All!
Sasha Rana, Mariam Mikhaeil, Verena Ebed
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Documentary

Universal vs. Nintendo: Shaping the Responsibilities of a Video Game Giant
Kian Revale
Orange Vista High School, Val Verde Unified School District

“Tragedi 1998: A Reckoning on Protester Responsibilities”
Dustin Sihotang
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Kill the Indian Save the Child | A People's Right to Culture and Language
Zayanna Mejico
Vista del Lago High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Documentary

Redefining Safety-Following 9/11: The Responsibility To Protect At the Expense Of Rights
Matin Sivandi, Shivam Master, Aatif Azkarkhan
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

From Rot to Real: How the FDA Protected Consumer Rights While Regulating Industry Responsibilities
Phoebe Heng, Saanvi Nukala
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Ni Una Menos: A Movement for Women's Rights
Makenna Melendez, Krisha Patel
Norco High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Exhibit

Brazilian Government’s Responsibility in Protecting Women’s Rights
Sofia Galvan
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Korean-Americans Right for Self-Defense vs. Authorities Failure in Responsibility During the 1992 LA Riots
Emily Shin
Centennial High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Brushed with Censorship: How Nazis created the “Degenerate Art” Exhibitions to Erase Artists Rights
Warda Khan
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Right to Care: The History of the Pap Smear and How it Revolutionized Women’s Healthcare

Aashritha Sayyaparaju, Mahima Mangamuri, Jacqueline Vo
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Radium Girls: They Died for Your Rights.
Payton Brumbaugh, Michelle McEnery
Norco High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Chavez Ravine: A Community Displaced, Rights Ignored, and Responsibilities Rewritten in the Construction of Dodger Stadium
Ethan Lundberg, Joselyn Lopez
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Individual Performance

The Lights, The Sounds, The Reflection, The Impact: Broadway Has a Powerful Voice
Mason Gonzales
John W. North High School, Riverside Unified School District

Senior Group Performance

Asylum Secrets: Nellie Bly’s Impact and Truth
Kayleigh Pobog, Joy Manalo
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Innocence on the Assembly Line: Responsibility Ignored, Rights Denied
Elya Hussain, Maryam Rizvi, Shruthi Gouni
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Speaking Your Truth; A Right or Responsibility? Yellow Journalism
Emily Martinez, Camryn Canada, Xavier Carrillo, Benjamin Briggs, Amyah Biddle-Browne
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Individual Podcast

Breaking the Chains: Curt Flood and the Fight for Player Rights
Jackson Barlett
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

When Rivers Burn: The River That Sparked a National Movement for the Right to Clean Water and Environmental Responsibility
Jazae-Zehra Rizvi
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

From Rights to Ruins: The Responsibilities We Owe After the Tulsa Race Massacre
Carlie Adams
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Podcast

Right to Publish, Responsibility to Protect: The Pentagon Papers
Natalia Avila, Natalie Ballesteros, Jadeynn Gallardo
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Rights and Responsibilities: School Racial Integration
Clayton Kraus, Bear Garrett
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Defining Disability: The Legacy of Sterilization on Disability Rights in the United States
Caitlin Buensuceso, Brayden Goytia
Centennial High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Website

The Napoleonic Code: The Catalyst for Rights and Responsibilities
Patrick Moon
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Bottoms Up: Analyzing the Right to Regulate Alcohol and the Responsibilities the Public Beers
Shivangi Kumari
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

The Power of Innovation and Progress: Rights and Responsibilities in the Age of the Printing Press
Dale Ivan Singh
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Website

Survivors of the Wartime Female Slavery System: The Rights and Responsibilities
Michelle Hur, Dahlia Balderrama, Nathan Gautsche, Noor Jaber
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

From Wonder Drug to Transcendental Tragedy: Thalidomide, the Legacy of Patient Rights and Pharmaceutical Responsibility
Olivia Chiang, Aneri Patel, Asma Parekh
Centennial High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: Rights Ignored and Responsibilities Abused
Tanush Komatineni, Matthew Zhao
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School