By Sarah Weissman, Maryland Humanities: 19 outstanding Maryland middle and high school history scholars received commendations from State Senators and Delegates at the Maryland State House in Annapolis.
The students were acknowledged on February 27, 2023, for awards or honors they received at the 2022 National History Day competition. They represented Baltimore City, Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County.
Teachers Michael Muscavage and Devin Page were also recognized for being named the Maryland History Day High and Middle School Teachers of the Year, respectively.
Muscavage teaches at Arundel High School in Anne Arundel County and Page teaches at Northern Middle School in Calvert County. At the 2022 National History Day Competition, Page was also named as one of six finalists nationwide for the Junior Division of the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award.
Maryland History Day is a year-long educational program with more than 25,000 middle and high school student participants that culminates in a statewide history contest. Working solo or in small groups, students create original documentary films, exhibits, performances, research papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme.
Maryland History Day, coordinated by Maryland Humanities since 1999, is open to public, private, parochial, and homeschool students in grades 6 through 12. This year’s Maryland History Day state competition will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The theme of the competition is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.
The annual National History Day competition involves more than 3,000 students from 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia. This year’s competition occurs June 11–15, 2023 at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Support for Maryland History Day is provided by the State of Maryland through the Maryland State Department of Education, Columbia Gas of Maryland, Venable Foundation, Wegmans, and The Citizens of Baltimore County. Maryland History Day in Baltimore City is supported in part by the Thalheimer-Eurich Charitable Fund and The Creative Baltimore Award, provided by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts on behalf of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore.
Honorees (by county): Please note that schools listed are those that students attended during the 2021–22 school year.
Anne Arundel County:
- Michael Yuscavage, Arundel High School — Maryland History Day High School Teacher of the Year 2022
Calvert County
- Devin Page, Northern Middle School — Maryland History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year 2022 & Finalist for The Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award (Junior Division)
Prince George’s County:
- Stephen Albert, Kenmoor Middle School
- Lillian Merrill, Accokeek Academy
- Saniya Pearson, Accokeek Academy
- Aliyah Smith, Accokeek Academy
* – honored in absentia