After competing in the Lone Star College-Montgomery Regional History Fair this spring, Annie Salinas, a 17-year-old, home-schooled student from Spring, placed first in her division in the 2011 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest held last month in the Washington, D.C., area.
Her entry, “Solidarity: From a Polish Shipyard to the Kremlin, the Diplomacy that Shaped Western Europe,” was awarded first place in the individual exhibit senior division. Salinas also received the Legacy Prize sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution & the Creativity Foundation.
“Winning top awards at the National History Day competition is an amazing achievement,” said Dr. Betsy Powers, professor of history and director of LSC-Montgomery’s regional history fair. “Qualifying to participate is quite a rigorous process, but the students’ enthusiasm is matched only by the strength of each entry. That is why year after year Texas makes such a strong showing in the national competition.”
For the past four years, Salinas has begun the “rigorous process” at LSC-Montgomery, competing in the regional fair and qualifying to advance to the state contest in Austin. At the state competition, Salinas has placed either first or second for the past three years, securing her a spot in the national contest.
“National History Day gives me the chance to create and present extensive research projects that go beyond the traditional textbook perception of history,” said Salinas, who hopes to pursue university studies in history and humanities. “Exploring one small piece of history with such depth allows me to see the connections that tie our world together.”
The 2011 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest took place at the University of Maryland in June. Students from all 50 states, plus Shanghai, Puerto Rico, and Guam, competed for awards with their outstanding exhibits, performances, documentaries, interpretive websites, and historical essays based on the theme “Debate and Diplomacy in History.”
“National History Day has been a great experience for us,” said Lisa Salinas, Annie’s mother and teacher. “It allows students to delve into particular periods of history on their own, get excited about a topic, and share their expertise with other students, teachers, and professionals who work in fields related to history. It’s a wonderful program.”
LSC-Montgomery sponsors the regional National History Day contest for high school juniors and seniors in The Woodlands/Conroe/Spring/Tomball/Magnolia areas. The 2012 regional contest is scheduled for February 11, 2012, with registration deadlines held in January.
For more information about the regional history fair competition, contact Dr. Powers at 936.273.7036 or visit her blog at http://lonestar.edu/blogs/bpowers/.
LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call 936.273.7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.
With more than 69,000 students in credit classes for fall 2010, and a total enrollment of more than 85,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.