Students from Los Arboles Middle School (LAMS) earned top recognition at the Monterey County History Day competition, with several projects receiving special awards and two teams advancing to the California State History Day competition this May at Sacramento State University.
History Day challenges students to conduct in-depth research, analyze primary sources, and present their findings through exhibits, performances, documentaries, podcasts, or websites. This year’s projects from LAMS explored powerful historical moments and ideas that sparked change and shaped societies.
Two LAMS projects were named county winners in the Junior Group Exhibit category, earning a place at the state competition.
Aria Beye, Juniper Gustafson, and Gwenyth Tackett (8th grade) were recognized for their project, “Contagious Ideas: Pasteur’s Germ Theory — Revolution and the Chain Reaction of Reform.” In addition to advancing to the state competition, their work also received the Turning Points in History Prize.
Aryana Choe and Vivian Nguyen (8th grade) were honored for their project, “Blue Revolution: The Global Reaction and Cinematic Reform of Avatar,” which earned the Pop Culture Prize.
Two 7th-grade students also received special recognition for their individual exhibits.
Aanaskshi Ram earned the Family History Prize for her project, “The Historical Perspective from an Enslaved Group: The Girmitiyas Transported from Fiji Islands, Australia and New Zealand.”
Liana Nguyen received the Primary Source Prize for her exhibit, “History of the Hawaiian Kingdom: The Reforming of a Monarchy.”
Several additional LAMS students participated in the competition, presenting thoughtful and engaging historical research:
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Nattalia Thapa – “Britain’s Unfathomable Mystery: Jack the Ripper, the One Who Never Let the Police Rest.”
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Leila Virtue – “Chairman Mao Zedong and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.”
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Jackson Rincon – “King Philip’s War and the Reform of the English.”
The success of these students reflects months of research, writing, and preparation. Their work highlights the strong emphasis at Los Arboles Middle School on inquiry, critical thinking, and bringing history to life.
Special thanks to Los Arboles Middle School teacher Teri Flanders and Astrid Rodriguez for their leadership and dedication in guiding students through the History Day program and supporting them as they developed their projects.
The LAMS community looks forward to cheering on its state qualifiers as they represent their school and community at the California State History Day competition in May.