They've done the research. They've built the exhibits. They've produced the documentaries. And now they're competing on the national stage.

More than a dozen Auburn-Washburn middle school students are representing Kansas this week at the National History Day competition at the University of Maryland after earning top honors at the state contest.

National History Day is a highly respected academic program that challenges students to conduct in-depth historical research and present their findings through exhibits, documentaries, papers, and performances. This year's theme, "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History," invited students to explore pivotal moments when individuals or groups challenged the status quo and helped shape the course of history.

The following students qualified for and are participating in the national competition. Links to each project are included below, offering a firsthand look at the research, creativity, and historical analysis that earned them a spot at the national competition.

• Jordan Ebenesar, Arjun Mukkamala, Ashwin Mukkamala, and Chance Perry (Group Exhibit Board – Fatal Flaws: From Ruin to Revolution)
• John Gregory and Anik Patel (Group Exhibit Board – The Road to Reform: How Interstate Highways Revolutionized America)
• Graham Figuerres (Individual Documentary – "Democracy Dies in Darkness": The Revolution of Investigative Journalism)
• Michael Cuper, Quaid Karr, and Rishik (Luv) Sinha (Group Documentary – Beyond the Arc: How the Three-Point Line Revolutionized Basketball)
• Jack Rosenbaum (Individual Exhibit Board – The Revolution of Radioactivity)
• Easton Schmidtlein (Historical Paper – More Than Brick and Stone: A Revolution of Expansion)
• Maya Cabrilo and Lily Gross (Group Performance – All the World Loves a Baby)

Qualifying for National History Day is a significant accomplishment and reflects months of research, analysis, writing, collaboration, and preparation. Auburn-Washburn is proud of these students for representing their schools, community, and state on the national stage.

We wish all of our competitors the very best as they share their work with judges and fellow students from across the country.