Heart of Texas Regional History Fair Announces Winners of 2021 Competition, Special Awards

Students from 10 Central Texas schools advance to virtual Texas History Day competition April 24 in Austin

Media Contact: Rachel DeShong , Heart of Texas Regional History Fair, 254-710-3783
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia

WACO, Texas (March 11, 2021) – The Waco Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation awarded medals to 75 students from 16 Central Texas schools for their winning projects in the 2021 Heart of Texas Regional History Fair held virtually Feb. 15-19. Award winners were announced on Feb. 24.

Students competed in several categories, including individual paper and individual and group exhibits, performances, documentaries and websites. Students who placed first or second in the virtual HOTRHF senior and junior divisions will advance to the virtual Texas History Day competition April 24 in Austin. Winners in Austin then compete in virtual National History Day in June.

In addition to the category winners, HOTRHF participants and teachers also were honored with special awards. All awardees are listed below.

For more information, contact Rachel DeShong, coordinator of the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair, at 254-710-3783 or hotfair@baylor.edu.

2021 Heart of Texas Regional History Fair Award Winners

Junior Individual Documentary

1st Place
11004: W.E.B. Du Bois: Communicating Change in History
Lily Howell-Atlas Academy

2nd Place
11001: A Man of Compassion: How the 14th Dalai Lama Harnessed the Power of Communication to Advocate for Tibet
Lydia Allen-Atlas Academy

3rd Place
11003: The History of Drums in Warfare
Matthew Everett-Atlas Academy

Honorable Mention
11002: How Anne Sullivan Used Communication to Help Helen Keller
Peyton Richards-Robinson Junior High School

Junior Group Exhibit

1st Place
16003: Communicating with Graffiti
Crosby Davis and Addison Roark-Atlas Academy

Honorable Mention
16004: Letters of the Great Depression to Eleanor Roosevelt
Christian Tarbush, Nolla Cervera, Shae Young, and Adelyn Murphy-Robinson Junior High School

2nd Place
16007: Folklore: The Original Horror
Tyrone McNary and Elicia Ochoa-Atlas Academy

3rd Place
16002: Communication Through Cornrows
Tie'Teana Johnson and Jocelyn Austin-G.W. Carver Middle School

Junior Individual Exhibit

1st Place
15010: How the Feminine Mystique Sparked
Isabelle Ryals-South Belton Middle School

2nd Place
15009: D-Day Communication = Success
Caden Soto-Eagle Christian Academy

3rd Place
15006: The Telephone
Josiah Tate-Atlas Academy

Honorable Mention
15003: Navajo Code Talkers
Brycen Davis-Robinson Junior High School

Junior Paper

1st Place
10003: Gloria Anzaldua: Author, Activist, Fronteriza
Daisy Barco-Atlas Academy

2nd Place
10004: Communication in Code: The Key to Victory
Abigail Olmstead-Olmstead Homeschool

3rd Place
10001: Daisy Bates - Dear Diary
Paiton Jones-Atlas Academy

Honorable Mention
10006: Communication in World War I: Leaving an Impact 100 Years Later
Yessenia Antonio-Atlas Academy

Junior Group Website

1st Place
18008: Chief Shaynowishkung and the Ojibwe Tribe: Trade to Tragedy
Asa Sutton and James Ticarat-Atlas Academy

2nd Place
18009: Search Destroy : The Bismarck's Story
Jonathon Crow and Dave Apte-North Belton Middle School

3rd Place
18006: The Code to Victory
Soteria Shin and Rachel Kim-Lake Belton Middle School

Honorable Mention
18004: The Enigma
Katherine Brown and Emily Jeong-Travis Science Academy

Junior Individual Website

1st Place
17002: Homing Pigeons as a Form of Communication in WW1 and WW2
August Zimmerman-Atlas Academy

2nd Place
17006: Waco's Greatest Photographer: Fred Gildersleeve
David Bode-Atlas Academy

3rd Place
17004: The War Against Truth: Propaganda in the Cold War
Aliveyah Thomas-Cesar Chavez Middle School

Honorable Mention
17001: Apollo 13: Their Journey Back Home
Valerie Velasquez-Travis Science Academy

Senior Group Documentary

1st Place
22002: American Propaganda: Communication Fuels War
Jackson Rahm, Ryan Carpio-Brown, and Samuel Foreman-Belton High School

Senior Individual Documentary

1st Place
21001: Hidden on the "B" Side: Black Gospel Music of the Civil Rights Movement
Lily Coffman-Waco High School

2nd Place
21003: Faith: Her Key to Understanding
Isabella Riggs-Waco High School

3rd Place
21002: How Cinema Communicates America's Changing Perception of Vietnam
Matthew Steinke-Lorena High School

Senior Group Exhibit

1st Place
26002: Gutenberg's Press
Alyssa Waters and La'Mayia Riggins-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

2nd Place
26001: Deciphering Hieroglyphics
Marshall Blazier and Cooper Flory-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Individual Exhibit

1st Place
25004: Inns and Outs: Stonewall and Communication
Corinne Finley-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

2nd Place
25001: Communication in the Trenches - Advancements in Communication Technology During The Great War
Jackson Marschall-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

3rd Place
25002: Navajo Code Talkers
Madalyn Mckanna-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Paper

1st Place
20004: "Rosie the Housewife": Propaganda for Women to Leave the Workforce after World War II
Fiona Fulton-Lorena High School

2nd Place
20005: Respectfully Yours, Khrushchev: How a Hotline Kept the War Cold
Samuel Gilmer-Gilmer Home School

3rd Place
20001: The Demise of Federalism: How the Seventeenth Amendment Abolished the State Voice in Congress and Subverted the Constitutional Order
Caleb Brown-Brown Homeschool

Honorable Mention
20002: “Donadagohvi, Oginalii”: The Extinction and Downfall of Native American Languages
Kole Petersen-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Group Performance

1st Place
24002: A Nation to Gain: Suffragettes Communicating through Tactics
Mackenzie Block, Anna Lail, Lexie Caro, and Isabella Phillips-Lorena High School

2nd Place
24001: Operation Underworld
Samuel Fothergill, Drew Leinart, Duncan Lancaster, and Colter Boethel-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

3rd Place
24003: The Newsboy Strike 1899
Abigail Mahn, Annie Hammer, Joshua Levant, and Alexandra Finn-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Individual Performance

1st Place
23001: Not Just ABCs and 123s: How Sesame Street Communicates Timeless Lessons Through Television
Axel Hernandez-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Group Website

1st Place
28001: Choctaw Code Talkers
Celeste Jones and Caitlyn Stearns-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

2nd Place
28002: Communication Through Sight: How American Sign Language Brought Accessibility to the Deaf Community
Jackson Belobrajdic and Kara Shin-Belton High School

3rd Place
28003: The Use of Carrier Pigeons in WWI
Allison Vekasy, Jocileen Carrell, Mylie Hammonds, Alissa Stauffer, and Madisen Hinkson-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

Senior Individual Website

1st Place
27002: Unbreakable: The Navajo Code Talkers
Alicia Miranda-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

2nd Place
27001: What Words Can’t Communicate: Floriography in the Victorian Era
Kylah Bergan-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

2021 Heart of Texas Regional History Fair Special Award Winners

Baylor Film and Digital Media

22001: Breaking Barriers Desegregation In Education
Evelyn Baez, Lizbeth Varela, and Victor Thomas-La Vega High School

Baylor Law School
15004: The Accident of All Time
Leonardo Rodriguez-South Belton Middle School

17005: The Equal Rights Amendment
Caydin Verde-Eagle Christian Academy

20001: The Demise of Federalism: How the Seventeenth Amendment Abolished the State Voice in Congress and Subverted the Constitutional Order
Caleb Brown-Brown Homeschool

25003: A Time for Change, The Integration of La Vega and Carver High Schools
Kyndall Zilem-La Vega High School

Baylor University Institute for Oral History
22001: Breaking Barriers Desegregation In Education
Evelyn Baez, Lizbeth Varela, and Victor Thomas-La Vega High School

Bell County Museum
22002: American Propaganda: Communication Fuels War
Jackson Rahm, Ryan Carpio-Brown, and Samuel Foreman-Belton High School

Dr Pepper Museum
15006: The Telephone
Josiah Tate-Atlas Academy

McLennan County Historical Commission
11004: W.E.B. Du Bois: Communicating Change in History
Lily Howell-Atlas Academy

17006: Waco's Greatest Photographer: Fred Gildersleeve
David Bode-Atlas Academy

25003: A Time for Change, The Integration of La Vega and Carver High Schools
Kyndall Zilem-La Vega High School

Museum Association of Waco
15009: D-Day Communication = Success
Caden Soto-Eagle Christian Academy

25001: Communication in the Trenches - Advancements in Communication Technology During The Great War
Jackson Marschall-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

National Society of the Colonial Dames - Waco Town Committee
16006: Life's Legacies and Letters of John Laurens
Ellie Engel and Kynzli Fuqua-Robinson Junior High School

National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Elizabeth Gordon Bradley Chapter
15007: Phillis Wheatley and Her Journey with Poetry
Alexis Beal-Robinson Junior High School

Red Men Museum and Library
15009: D-Day Communication = Success
Caden Soto-Eagle Christian Academy

Texas German Society - Heart of Texas Chapter
26002: Gutenberg's Press
Alyssa Waters and La'Mayia Riggins-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

The Links, Inc., Waco
15007: Phillis Wheatley and Her Journey with Poetry
Alexis Beal-Robinson Junior High School

16002: Communication Through Cornrows
Tie'Teana Johnson and Jocelyn Austin-G.W. Carver Middle School

22001: Breaking Barriers Desegregation In Education
Evelyn Baez, Lizbeth Varela, and Victor Thomas-La Vega High School

25003: A Time for Change, The Integration of La Vega and Carver High Schools
Kyndall Zilem-La Vega High School

The Texas Collection
25003: A Time for Change, The Integration of La Vega and Carver High Schools
Kyndall Zilem-La Vega High School

Waco Hispanic Museum
15002: Communicating Through Smoke Signals
Esmeralda Torres Sanchez-G.W. Carver Middle School

25002: Navajo Code Talkers
Madalyn Mckanna-Belton New Tech @ Waskow

W. R. Poage Legislative Library
10003: Gloria Anzaldua: Author, Activist, Fronteriza
Daisy Barco-Atlas Academy

20004: "Rosie the Housewife": Propaganda for Women to Leave the Workforce after World War II
Fiona Fulton-Lorena High School

Ada Margaret Smith Award
For Most Promising Young Historian
Fiona Fulton-Lorena High School

Calvin B. Smith Award
For Most Outstanding Teacher of the Year
Greg Borchardt-Lorena High School

James M. SoRelle Department of History Sweepstakes Award
Timothy Potts, Belton New Tech @ Waskow

ABOUT THE HEART OF TEXAS REGIONAL HISTORY FAIR

The Heart of Texas Regional History Fair (HOTRHF) is a regional affiliate for the Texas History Day and National History Day annual competition and operates under the guidelines of the National History Day. HOTRHF covers a 14-county region in Central Texas. Founded in 1986 under the sponsorship of the Strecker Museum at Baylor University, the HOTRHF is currently sponsored by The Texas Collection at Baylor and is held each February at the Bill Daniel Student Center on the Baylor campus. Participation in the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair develops academic, artistic and social skills that provide lasting benefit to students in all areas of study. For more information or to get involved in HOTRHF, visit www.baylor.edu/historyfair.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.