Kern County Students Win at State History Day, Headed to Nationals

Local elementary and middle school students are returning victorious after a standout showing at the California History Day competition in Sacramento. Following months of in-depth research and creative project development, five students earned top honors and will advance to the prestigious National History Day contest in Maryland.

The champion students first had to rise through the ranks of their school, district, and the 42nd annual Kern County History Day competition. Their projects ranged from documentaries to posters to exhibits, all centered on the theme: “Rights & Responsibilities in History.”

Emery Penaloza, a seventh grader from Norris Middle School, won the junior individual documentary category for “Injustice Interned: Sacrificing Civil Rights for National Security,” exploring the Japanese American internment during World War II. Emery was inspired by George Takei’s memoir They Called Us Enemy and personal conversations with a family friend and 99-year-old internment camp survivor.

“The government had a responsibility to protect the rights of all citizens, no matter where they came from, and yet the Japanese Americans were denied those rights,” he said.

Alekha Goldberg, a sixth-grade student from Peak to Peak Mountain Charter took top honors in the junior individual exhibit category with “Returning Blue Lake: The Confluence of Rights, Responsibilities & Social Justice,” which chronicled the 64-year struggle of the Taos Pueblo tribe to reclaim sacred land. Alekha also received a special award for her focus on American Indian history.

“I have a lot of interest in Native American history and culture,” Alekha said. “I really liked learning about what they had to go through to get Blue Lake back.”

Alekha’s mother, Rageshwar Goldberg, says Alekha’s passion for history is contagious. Whenever she becomes interested in a new topic, the whole family gets involved in learning something new.

“I get to see it unfold as she’s researching it,” Rageshwar said. “She’ll tell us things, and then we talk about it, and we learn more about it, and it takes myself and my husband into a whole new world. It’s very interesting.”

These achievements are significant for students like Emery, who became the first participant from Norris Middle School. His success has sparked a new interest in History Day at his school, with plans now underway to support future participants, with Emery sharing his knowledge and experience with younger grade levels and starting a history club on campus.

“It feels amazing. Just by enjoying history, I literally made history,” Emery said.

Their parents couldn’t be prouder of them, not only for winning the competition, but for taking an interest in history, exploring new and fascinating topics, and sharing that passion with others.

“He’s made me more excited about history because of his enthusiasm, said Emery’s mother, Lora Penaloza. “Emery has always loved and had a passion for history, and now he is finally getting rewarded for it. And for him to do so well his first time actually doing it, it’s really cool.”

Rageshwar says a big standout moment for her was coming to the county and state competitions and seeing all the students from different areas coming together and sharing their projects. She says Alekha was able to talk with several of the high school senior-level students about topics she wouldn’t be able to find in a history book.

“It’s a great locus for people to gather around history. There’s a lot of moments for connection,” Rageshwar said. “For them to work really hard and then proudly share that work makes me, as a parent, really happy.  I see that joy, investment, and commonality amongst the students enjoying each other’s work.

Emery and Alekha are eagerly preparing for the National History Day contest in Maryland, which will be held in early June. They expressed excitement about traveling out of state for the competition and the opportunity to meet with students around the nation.

“I can’t wait to be able to represent California,” Emery said. “And I’m not just representing California — I’m representing my entire school, my entire district, and I want to make all of them proud.”

Results

Individual Documentary – Champion
Emery Penaloza
Norris Middle
Project: Injustice Interned: Sacrificing Civil Rights for National Security

Individual Exhibit – Champion
Alekha Goldberg
Peak to Peak Mountain Charter
Project: Returning Blue Lake: The Confluence of Rights, Responsibilities & Social Justice

Group Exhibit – Champion
Emily Huynh, Ellie Huynh
Fruitvale Junior High
Project: The HOPE Act’s Promise: Rights and Responsibilities

Individual Poster – Champion
Benson Kim
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Project: Bob Fletcher: Responsibility is Stronger than Fear

Group Poster – Runner-up
Shashank Lal, Emily Moe, Deyaan Lakhani
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Project: The Journey of Justice for Farm Workers