College Park, Maryland – May 13, 2024 – National History Day® (NHD) is proud to announce the teachers honored as the 2024 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year nominees. Each NHD affiliate may nominate one middle school teacher and one high school teacher per year for this prestigious award. In addition to celebrating outstanding history scholarship and innovative classroom instruction, the award comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
The 102 teachers selected as the 2024 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year nominees represent 50 of NHD’s 58 affiliates. NHD affiliates include all 50 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, and international schools in Europe and Asia. Each nominee is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest. All nominees receive $500.
“The Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award nominees always represent the best in history education,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “As NHD celebrates our 50th anniversary year, I couldn’t be more proud of these teachers. Every day, they demonstrate their commitment to excellence in teaching, the rigorous study of history and primary sources, and the creativity and drive to engage students all across the country and world in National History Day.”
One national winner in the middle school (junior) division and one national winner in the high school (senior) division will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians and announced on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the National History Day National Contest Awards Ceremony in College Park, Maryland. The Awards Ceremony will begin around 8 am and will be livestreamed at nhd.org/awards-ceremony.
This program is generously sponsored by the late Patricia Behring, a philanthropist and champion for education.
We are pleased to introduce the 2024 nominees for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award:
| NHD Affiliate | Teacher Name, School, and City | Division |
| Alabama | Ms. Kathy Paschal, Stanhope Elmore High School, Millbrook | Senior |
| Alaska | Ms. Dena Royal, Yakov E Netsvetov, Atka | Junior |
| Alaska | Mrs. Heather Damario, West Valley High School, Fairbanks | Senior |
| American Samoa | Ms. Vi Harrington, Tafuna Elementary School, Pago Pago | Junior |
| American Samoa | Ms. Rhonda Tuia, Samoana High School, Utulei | Senior |
| Arizona | Mrs. Stacey Trepanier, New Vistas Center for Education, Chandler | Junior |
| Arizona | Ms. MacKenzie Uliasz, Accelerated Elementary and Secondary Schools: Greenfields, Tucson | Senior |
| Arkansas | Mrs. Tracie Ashley, Prairie Grove Junior High School, Prairie Grove | Junior |
| Arkansas | Ms. Mary Gibson, Harrison High School, Harrison | Senior |
| California | Mr. Chuck Diep, Roger W. Temple Intermediate School, Rosemead | Junior |
| California | Ms. Aditi Doshi, Van Nuys High School, Van Nuys | Senior |
| Colorado | Mr. Zach Crandall, Southern Hills Middle School, Boulder | Junior |
| Colorado | Mrs. Kirsten Schuman, SkyView Academy, Highlands Ranch | Senior |
| Connecticut | Mrs. Jenn McMunn, Mansfield Middle School, Storrs Mansfield | Junior |
| Connecticut | Mr. Matthew Hay, Pathways Academy of Technology and Design, East Hartford | Senior |
| Delaware | Mr. Andrew Bedell, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington | Junior |
| Delaware | Mr. Brent Freccia, Newark Charter High School, Newark | Senior |
| Florida | Mr. Timothy Flynn, Okaloosa STEMM Academy, Valparaiso | Junior |
| Florida | Mrs. Paige Bagby, Creekside High School, St Johns | Senior |
| Georgia | Ms. Yvette Milligan, Woodland Middle School, Stockbridge | Junior |
| Georgia | Ms. Angelina K. Muskin, Herschel V. Jenkins High School, Savannah | Senior |
| Guam | Mr. Brian Palaganas, Andersen Middle School, Yigo | Junior |
| Hawaii | Dr. Patricia Wurst, Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina | Junior |
| Hawaii | Mr. Sean Wagner, Waiakea High School, Hilo | Senior |
| Idaho | Mrs. Sabrina Geiser, Madison Junior High School, Rexburg | Junior |
| Idaho | Mr. James Langan, Caldwell Senior High School, Caldwell | Senior |
| Illinois | Mrs. Patricia Romano Meegan, Philip Rogers Elementary School, Chicago | Junior |
| Illinois | Mrs. Jamie Nash-Mayberry, Cobden High School, Cobden | Senior |
| Indiana | Mr. Dylan Ringler, Edgewood Middle School, Warsaw | Junior |
| Indiana | Mrs. Lynn Norris, Sullivan High School, Sullivan | Senior |
| Iowa | Mrs. Linda Vanden Bosch, Clarinda Jr.-Sr. High School, Clarinda | Senior |
| Kansas | Mrs. Maria Arnold, Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School, Topeka | Junior |
| Kansas | Mr. Chris Jaax, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, Wichita | Senior |
| Kentucky | Mr. David Trueblood, St. Nicholas Academy, Louisville | Junior |
| Kentucky | Mrs. Shannon Slate, Christian County Public Schools, Hopkinsville | Senior |
| Louisiana | Mrs. April Butler-Goudeau, North Central High School/Middle School, Lebeau | Junior |
| Louisiana | Mrs. Kim Gardner, Saint Paul’s School, Mandeville | Senior |
| Maine | Mrs. Jessica Kelly, Scarborough Middle School, Scarborough | Junior |
| Maine | Mrs. Kathryn Cassesse, Greely Middle School, Cumberland Center | Junior |
| Maryland | Mrs. Erin Spahr, Urbana Middle School, Ijamsville | Junior |
| Maryland | Ms. Stephanie Gomer, Poolesville High School, Poolesville | Senior |
| Massachusetts | Mr. Norman Everett, Leicester Middle School, Leicester | Junior |
| Massachusetts | Mrs. Julia Atwood, Mansfield High School, Mansfield | Senior |
| Michigan | Mrs. Michelle Slaviero, Boulan Park Middle School, Troy | Junior |
| Michigan | Ms. Amy Bielat, Hamtramck High School, Hamtramck | Senior |
| Minnesota | Ms. Stacey Lambrecht, St. Mary’s School, Bird Island | Junior |
| Minnesota | Ms. Catherine Nachbar, Duluth East High School, Duluth | Senior |
| Mississippi | Mrs. Abigail Myers, Simpson Central School, Pinola | Junior |
| Mississippi | Ms. Alexandria Drake, JPS-Tougaloo Early College High School, Tougaloo | Senior |
| Missouri | Mrs. Kathy Laffoon, Liberty Middle School, Liberty | Junior |
| Missouri | Mr. Paul Arnold, Richland R-1, Essex | Senior |
| Montana | Mrs. Jessica Van Kerkhove, Potomac School District, Potomac | Junior |
| Montana | Ms. Victoria Nytes, Superior High School, Superior | Senior |
| Nebraska | Mr. Brent Myers, Mission Middle School, Bellevue | Junior |
| Nebraska | Mr. Shane Adams, Ralston High School, Ralston | Senior |
| Nevada | Ms. Margarita Morales, Victoria Fertitta Middle School, Las Vegas | Junior |
| Nevada | Mr. Christopher Rawlins, West Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas | Senior |
| New Hampshire | Ms. Kristin Brown, Kingswood Regional Middle School, Wolfeboro | Junior |
| New Hampshire | Dr. Tristan K. Husby, Pelham High School, Pelham | Senior |
| New Mexico | Mrs. Dayna Jones, La Plata Middle School, Silver City | Junior |
| New York | Mrs. Jodi Thompson, Herricks Middle School, Albertson | Junior |
| New York | Ms. Jeanne-Marie Marziliano, Bay Shore High School, Bay Shore | Senior |
| NHD China | Mr. Nathaniel Potson, QSI International School of Shenzhen | Senior |
| NHD China | Mr. William Zander, SMIC Private School – Shanghai | Junior |
| NHD International | Ms. Christy Halcom, MEF International Schools, Istanbul | Senior |
| NHD International | Mr. Matthew Elms, Singapore American School, Singapore | Junior |
| NHD Korea | Mr. Nicholas Kaschub, Daegu International School, Dong-gu | Junior |
| NHD Korea | Ms. Savannah Bamburg, Korea International School, Jeju, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si | Senior |
| North Carolina | Mr. Chadwick Stokes, E. B. Frink Middle School, La Grange | Junior |
| North Carolina | Ms. Naomi Barlaz, Cary Academy, Cary | Senior |
| North Dakota | Mr. Zach Hochhalter, Fargo North High School, Fargo | Senior |
| Ohio | Mrs. Angela DeWitt Mrs. Leia Innes, Sailorway Middle School, Vermilion | Junior |
| Ohio | Mrs. Marina Dieringer, Canal Winchester High School, Canal Winchester | Senior |
| Oklahoma | Mrs. Corene Jackson, Grove School, Shawnee | Junior |
| Oklahoma | Mrs. Ellen Carroll, Summit Christian Hybrid School, Oklahoma City | Senior |
| Oregon | Mr. Patrick O’Brien, Seven Peaks School, Bend | Junior |
| Oregon | Mr. John Santella, Westview High School, Portland | Senior |
| Rhode Island | Mrs. Jodi Belford, Western Hills Middle School, Cranston | Junior |
| Rhode Island | Ms. Rita Kerr-Vanderslice, Ponaganset High School, N. Scituate | Senior |
| South Carolina | Ms. Candace Johnson, Whittemore Park Middle School, Conway | Junior |
| Tennessee | Mrs. Whitney Joyner, Kirkwood Middle School, Clarksville | Junior |
| Tennessee | Ms. Rebecca Byrd, Sevier County Junior High School, Sevierville | Senior |
| Texas | Mr. Chad Hannoni, University Prep, Grapevine | Junior |
| Texas | Mrs. Megan Souchek, New Caney High School, New Caney | Senior |
| Utah | Mr. James Romrell, Lakeridge Junior High, Orem | Junior |
| Utah | Mrs. Abbie Butler, Mountain Heights Academy, West Jordan | Senior |
| Vermont | Mr. Keith Harrington, Poultney Elementary School, Poultney | Junior |
| Vermont | Mr. Drew Gordon, South Burlington High School, South Burlington | Senior |
| Virginia | Ms. Rachel O’Leary Mrs. Jill Shull Mrs. Nellie Williams, Haycock Elementary School, Falls Church | Junior |
| Virginia | Mr. Andrew Abeyounis, Grafton High School, Yorktown | Senior |
| Washington | Mrs. Emily Ovenell, Royal Middle School, Royal City | Junior |
| Washington | Mr. Stephen Hart, Castle Rock High School, Castle Rock | Senior |
| Wisconsin | Mrs. Marci Kline Mrs. Dayce McAndrews Mrs. Beth McDonald Mrs. Karyn Tripp Ms. Hallie Weibel Mr. Nicholas Wiese, Holmen Middle School, Holmen | Junior |
| Wisconsin | Mr. Joe Boeck, Hmong American Peace Academy, Milwaukee | Senior |
Please direct press inquires to communications@nhd.org.
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About National History Day (NHD): NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by the 400 Years of African American History Commission, The Better Angels Society, the Bezos Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Behring Global Educational Foundation, and the National Park Service. For more information, visit nhd.org.
