The New Mexico Humanities Council hosted its annual National History Day (NHD) in New Mexico contest on April 11 at Central New Mexico Community College. The event was an overwhelming success bringing together more than 260 students from more than 40 schools from across the state—nearly doubling last year’s school participation.

Students entered documentaries, exhibits, performances, websites, and papers— all based on this year’s theme, “Rights and Responsibilities.” Sixty-one students who finished in first and second place in their respective categories have the opportunity to compete at the NHD National competition at the University of Maryland, in College Park, on June 8–12, 2025. New Mexico will be represented by the maximum number of projects in each category.

Nearly 60 professionals in the humanities, including historians and educators, served as judges at the state competition in Albuquerque, evaluating their projects and offering invaluable feedback to help students refine their work. Thirty-five students were presented with special awards given for excellence in topics ranging from Native American History to the history of the Manhattan Project, which are sponsored by community members and organizations from across the state. Here are just a few of the award winning projects:

• First Place Senior Group Exhibit: “Dennis Banks: A Crusader for Native Rights” by Kristina Fletcher and Cayden Flores (Cobre High School in Bayard, teacher: Julie Gutierrez)
• First Place Junior Paper: “Roots of Responsibility: The Right to Farm in New Mexico” by Ila Foster (Heights Middle School in Farmington, teacher: Saana Hemingway)
• First Place Senior Individual Documentary: “The Rwandan Trials: The Responsibility of Protecting the Right to Life” by Chidinma Nwachuku (Silver High School, teacher: Lee Wilson)
• First Place Senior Individual Exhibit: “Media Rights in the Stonewall Rebellion” by Victoria O’Neal (Albuquerque School of Excellence, teacher: Shannon Beyer)
• African American Special Prize: “Shuttles Worth Fighting For: The ACMHR and the Civil Rights Journey” by Troy Lopez and Michael Martinez (Rio Rancho Middle School, teacher: Michelle VanSant)
• NM History Special Prize – Senior Division – Paper: “The Complex Interplay of Rights and Responsibilities in Colonial Nueva España: A Study in Competing Claims” by Karma Bromwell (NM Connections Academy)

Over 3,000 students from the United States and around the globe will be competing in the National History Day contest. As part of the program, students learn important critical thinking skills and how to conduct research using primary, secondary, local, and statewide resources and work either individually or in groups.

The New Mexico Humanities Council has sponsored and administered New Mexico National History Day for more than 20 years, helping thousands of students from across the state develop critical research, writing, and communication skills. Every year, New Mexico students represent the state at the National History Day competition in Maryland, consistently earning national recognition for their work. In 2024, students brought home top honors, including second place in the Senior Individual Exhibit category, the prestigious “History of the U.S, Marine Corps Award for the exhibit From Desks to Depots: The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, a Turning Point for Female Marines, and the “History of Technology Award” for the individual website Turning the Tides of History: The Ebb and Flow of Tide-Predicting Machines.

This year, the New Mexico History Museum recognized the excellence of NHD students by featuring their award- winning exhibit on public display. Gas Baths and the Bracero Program in New Mexico and Beyond, created by Moriarty High School students Hanna Davis and Elena Dominguez, explores the intersection of public health, labor, and immigration in 20th-century New Mexico. Their work developed for the 2024 NHD in New Mexico competition demonstrates the program’s impact and what young historians bring to preserving and interpreting our state’s complex history. Gas Baths and the Bracero Program in New Mexico and Beyond is on display through August 31, 2025 at the New Mexico History Museum.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of programs like National History Day due to federal funding cuts, the New Mexico Humanities Council National History Day in New Mexico State Contest Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson, remains hopeful about the program. “National History Day transforms students from children who need to be taught into engaged citizens— curious, autonomous learners ready to take on the world. NHD gives students the skills and confidence to succeed in college and in their careers, and it strengthens New Mexico’s future. The benefits far outweigh its minimal costs, and every student reached through NHD is an investment in our shared future.” Teachers also see the program’s direct impact in the classroom. “While I love teaching, I was feeling a bit disillusioned from the teaching experience and felt I wasn’t making much of an impact on my students,” Saana Hemingway, an NHD educator from Farmington, N.M., shared with us. “A few of my 6th grade students asked me if I would sponsor them for NHD. At first I wanted to say no as I wasn’t sure if I was up to the task. My students convinced me by reminding me that I always tell them to ‘use a growth mindset’ and ‘try things out of their comfort zone.’ I am so glad I listened to them because NHD brought back the reason why I teach. I had students from all different backgrounds and interests connecting with me and each other over history. My room was a crazy revolving door of 6th–8th graders sharing their passion for history. I felt I had a purpose again.”

Click here for a complete list of special awards.