Kansas City Area Students Earn 1st Place in Nation at National History Day | June 16, 2017
Erin Lowe of Pembroke Hill and Hannah Scott of Odessa High School with their gold medals from National History Day.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Two area students earned gold medals at the national competition of National History Day this week in College Park, Md. Hannah Scott, a recent graduate of Odessa High School, earned first place in the Senior Individual Exhibit, and Erin Lowe, a junior at Pembroke High School, earned first place in the Senior Individual Performance.
The national gold medalists started their National History Day journey at a regional competition hosted by the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, a fitting place since Truman once said, “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” Scott and Lowe were among more than 3,000 students representing their regions at the national competition.
“These students have spent months working on these elaborate projects to compete in National History Day, so it’s amazing to see their hard work pay off,” said Mark Adams, Education Specialist at the Truman Library who helped chaperone the trip. “These inspiring young people are making a statement on the importance of studying and learning from history, and it will be exciting to see where they take this knowledge as they head to college and beyond.”
These local students not only competed at the highest level, but they also had the opportunity to visit Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Claire McCaskill, saw the Senate in session debating Iranian sanctions, displayed exhibits at the Smithsonian and more during their trip to the Washington, D.C., area.
“When my name was called for first place, I was completely in shock because my seemingly impossible goal was actually a reality,” Scott said on earning the gold medal. “To me, this honor is the culmination of five years of perseverance, tireless research and dedication, and I am ecstatic to have brought the gold back home to Missouri.”
Other winners from Missouri include Rachel Adger of South Valley Middle School who received the top award for Outstanding State Entry for Missouri, and Ji-Sung Lee of Rock Bridge High School in Columbia who received the White House History Prize.
The Truman Library Institute is the member-supported, nonprofit partner of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, one of 13 presidential libraries of the National Archives. The Truman Library Institute draws on President Truman’s legacy to enrich the public understanding of history, the presidency and America’s unique form of government. This mission is achieved through the development and funding of world-class museum exhibits, a robust international research grant program, public forums and nationally acclaimed education programs serving more than 40,000 students and teachers each year. Learn more at TrumanLibraryInstitute.org.
