Young Historians Recognized at 2026 Riverside County National History Day as 74 Projects by 137 Students Advance to National History Day-California Competition

• Documentary

• Performance

• Exhibit

• Website

• Podcast

“The extraordinary student projects on display at the Riverside County History Day are a powerful example of students integrating their curiosity and creativity with the depth of knowledge that comes from studying history,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Our award-winning historians will not only represent Riverside County with distinction at the state competition, but the wisdom they have gained will provide a timeless competitive advantage as they pursue their educational and professional endeavors.”

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 1-3, 2026, at California State University, Sacramento. Winners at the state level advance to the National History Day Competition, June 14-18, 2026, at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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

• Banning USD

• Corona-Norco USD

• Moreno Valley USD

• Riverside USD

• Romoland SD

• Val Verde USD

• Idyllwild Arts Academy

• Mission Vista Academy

• Notre Dame High School

• St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School

• Springs Charter School

• Sycamore Academy

For additional information about History Day, please visit: www.rcoe.us/history-day.

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

Elementary Individual Podcast

A Workplace Revolution: The Birth of Labor Safety Laws
Maximilliano Varela
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Tiny Chips, Big Changes: How Semiconductors Changed Our World
Ocean George
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The Scientific Revolution: Dolly's Legacy
Aksharaa Saravana
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Give Me Liberty!
Marian Gutierrez
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Elementary Group Podcast

A Right to Learn - The IDEA That Changed Schools
Abraham Holm, Abbigail Sanchez
Seneca Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

A Revolutionary Step Toward Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation
Malaysia Jordan, Genesis Valdez
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The Lemon Grove Incident: Reaction That Sparked Change
Irene Nicolas Jose, Gianna Trujillo
Armada Elementary School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Elementary Individual Poster

No Service, No Silence: The Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-in
Elia Nevling
Boulder Ridge Elementary School, Romoland School District

Yellowstone: A Revolutionary Idea That Changed America
Alisa Yi
Temescal Valley Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Revolution, Reaction, Reform: Rachel Carson and the Environmental Movement
Victoria Zhou
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Let the Children Play! How the Industrial Revolution Stole Childhood
Isaiah Miller
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Elementary Group Poster

Cesar Chavez: Revolutionizing and Protecting Farmworkers
Braxton Backstrom, Nicolas Salazar
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Riverside Unified School District

From Ban to Bloom: The Dual Language Immersion Triumph
Jaylla Magaña, Cassadee Meyer
George Washington Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Chernobyl: The Explosion That Made History
Jeremiah Eliseo Cabildo, Declan Stott
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Jackie Robinson
Janely Diaz, Brooklyn Key, Aliana Kocina
Hemmerling Elementary School, Banning Unified School District

Junior Individual Documentary

From Silence to Sound: Walt Disney's Revolution in Animation
Andrew Del Villar
Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

Echoes of Silence: Remembering Cambodia’s Revolution of Death
Ayesha Ashfaq
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Out of the Flames: The Tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Anchali Srirajan
Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Documentary

A Hanging Revolution: How Bush v. Gore Sparked Reaction and Reform in U.S. Democracy
Lilyana Covington, Elijah Holm
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

A Revolution on Your Plate: America's Fight for Pure Food
Angela Ananthanathan, Ronov Ranjith
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Propaganda to Protest: Japan’s Transformation Ensuing Animation
Mahi Kotia, Sri Kritika Sayyaparaju
Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Individual Exhibit

Beyond The California Dream: The Chicano Revolution
Geraldine Annet Solis
Sierra Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Press Start: How the Nintendo Entertainment System Sparked a Gaming Revolution, Provoked a Reaction, and Reformed an Industry
Lauryn Ng
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Pain Ends Debate Begins: Anesthesia's Revolution Reaction and Reform
Suhana Jakvani
Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Exhibit

Antiseptic Surgery: Ensuring Sterilization
Phoebe Akele, Arianny Rosales, Lorena Soto
Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Sparking a Revolution in Industrial Safety
Zoe Martinez Acosta, Jonathan Wang, Ariel Williams
Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

The Meiji Restoration: Revolution Reform Modernization
Novak Wei, Clay Yin
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Junior Individual Performance

Athena's Ask: The Athenian Revolution
Fara McPhail
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Satyagraha: The Non-Violent Revolution, from Gandhi's Hands to King's Dream
Akshita Saravana
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The Price to be Heard: The Rock and Roll Revolution, Payola Reaction, and the Reform of American Media
Sadie Rotz
Mission Vista Academy

Junior Group Performance

The Black Death: Effects on Humankind
Eleanor Alldredge, Arianna Auman, Jacob Johnston, Desmond Power
Amelia Earhart Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Adopted, Not Bought: The Cabbage Patch Kids and the Revolution of Childhood Consumer Culture
Briana Arias, Samantha De Paz Chinchilla, Yanderi Monroy, Olivia Villegas
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

From Idea to Action: How NOW Shaped the Future of Women's Rights
Aashni Elayaraja, Sophia Huang, Irina Lin, Jovita Rajasekar
Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District 

Junior Individual Podcast

Rigged for Ratings: The Quiz Show Scandals and the Crisis of Trust in Television
Brooklyn Vrilakas
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Mendez vs Westminster
Natalya Benor
Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Uprising for Justice After Undergoing Years of Police Brutality on the Basis of Race: How the 1992 Los Angeles Riots Caused a Revolution, Reaction, and Reform
Valerie Silva Yupe
Mountain View Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Group Podcast

Privacy on Trial: The Revolutionary Moment in Women's Reproductive Rights History, Roe v. Wade
Denise Arriaga, Melissa Camacho, Chizara Odimegwu, Ava Ybarra
Vista Verde Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

From Rivalry to Reform: How the American Basketball Association (ABA) Revolutionized the National Basketball Association (NBA)
Anthony Aguilar-Mares, Wyatt Fleming, Nathan Morga
Sierra Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

Hearts on Fire: Religious Revolution, Colonial Reaction, and Lasting Reform in the First Great Awakening
Hannah Calderon, Amiya Suggars
Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Junior Individual Website

The Destruction That Brought Safety
Swayze Adams
Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside Unified School District

The Aftermath of Pearl Harbor: Japanese American Resistance in Redefining American Identity
Khloe Nguyen
Prado View Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Pauline Sabin: A Leader in the Fight to End Prohibition
Mia Chapman
El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Junior Group Website

The Pentagon Papers: Malicious Intent Enveloped Under Government Deception
Valeria Cortes, Melena Marquez, Bonnie Bella Perez
Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde Unified School District

The Second Sino-Japanese War: The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
Eric Gu, Jenny Xiao, Jeron Xiao
Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside Unified School District

The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Ashley Murithi, Ahlanie Tovar
Dr. Bernice Todd Elementary School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Documentary

Stonewall: A Queers and Queens Revolution for Reform
Leo Hurtado
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Helen Frankenthaler and the Abstract Expressionist Movement
Michaela Hsu
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School, Diocese of San Bernardino

Salem Witch Trials
Jennavieve Covington
Moreno Valley High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Documentary

The Front that Stood for Self Determination: Reforming the Long Duree of Institutional Educational Underrepresentation
Francine Habacon, Kristie Wanjohi
Rancho Verde High School, Val Verde Unified School District

Liberty at the Guillotine: How Popular Revolution Destroyed the French Monarchy and Sparked the Reign of Terror
Ava Provencio, Paris Villegas
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The Murder of Vincent Chin
Bryce Nguyen-Tran, Minh Tran
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Exhibit

Breaking the Scalpel Ceiling: Elizabeth Blackwell's Revolution, Reaction, and Reform for Women in Medicine
Vidhi Vora
Santiago High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Utopia to Uniformity: How Soviet Reform Turned Avant-Garde Ideals into Ideological Control
Warda Khan
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The United Farm Workers Movement in the Coachella Valley
Ana Sofia Ramirez
Notre Dame High School, Diocese of San Bernardino

Senior Group Exhibit

The Birth of Jazz: A Musical Revolution, Racial Reaction, Reform in American Cultural Identity
Kasey Pixcar, Mary Soriano
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: A Societal Revolution, National Reactions, and a War for Reform
Chelsea Guerrero, Joselyn Lopez, Ethan Lundberg
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

ACT UP: Grassroots Power and the Acceleration of AIDS Medical Reform
Riteesh Settypalli, Nilay Vora
Centennial High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Performance

Wearing Dissent: Tinker v. Des Moines and the Reaction to Student Protest, the Revolution in Youth Free Speech, and the Reform of American Schools
Atika Anjum
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Bob Dylan: A Lyrical Revolutionist Who Spurred Reactions and Reformed Expectations
Kimiko Kitayama
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Performance

From Mines to Massacre: The Reaction to Industrial Reform
Victor Arreola-Vizcarra, Amyah Biddle-Browne, Camryn Canada, Kimyah King, Aubrey Leiba
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The French Revolution: How Reactions and the Guillotine Led to Reform
Andria Anderson, Jalen De Lucia, Avah Lizardi, Melissa Lopez, Caseyleen Trinidad
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

The Antibiotics Revolution: Reshaping Medicine, Society, and Survival
Belagia Faltas, Rohit Satheeshkumar, Roshhan Satheeshkumar
Santiago High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

Senior Individual Podcast

The Pentagon Papers: A Revolution in Journalism
Colin Difani
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

From Revival to Reform, How the Second Great Awakening Sparked a Religious Revolution and Provoked National Reaction
Melody Velasco
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Her Story Unfolded: Dorothea Dix’s Reform, Revolution, and the Public Response That Refined It
Carlie Adams
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Podcast

Turning Back Time: Alan Turing’s Scientific Revolutions, the Reaction Against Him, and the Reforms That Followed
Phoebe Heng, Saanvi Nukala
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

The British Invasion: Pop Music Revolution, American Reaction, and Reform in Global Music
Isabella Aviles, Julissa Guerra, Emily Hernandez
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Women Under Mao
Siyan Guo, Shiyun He, Ruihan Rao, 
Idyllwild Arts Academy

Senior Individual Website

A Nation Under the Knife: The U.S. Sanitary Commission's Revolution, Reaction, and Reform
Maham Rizvi
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

“Only the Brave Dare Eat the Fare”: How Harvey Wiley’s Poison Squad Reformed the American Public’s Opinion on Food Health and Safety
Hannah Palardy
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Chemical Weapons in WWI: A Scientific Revolution, Horrified Public Reaction, and Reform via the Geneva Protocol
Andrea Agredano
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District

Senior Group Website

The O Ring That Revolutionized the Space Industry
Fernando Garcia, Lynnette Vu, Zahne Wortman
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Unified School District

Thalidomide: A Medical Revolution, Public Reaction, and Lasting Reform
Vivian Lee, Lena Lu
Santiago High School, Corona Norco Unified School District

The Manhattan Project
Ethan Krinke, Austin Macias, Jose Ortiz
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School, Diocese of San Bernardino