Pictured are Owen Aukeman and Kevin Gough at the Capitol building. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

Press Release

WARSAW — Two Edgewood Middle School students represented the state of Indiana and Warsaw Community Schools at the National History Day contest.

Seventh-grader Owen Aukeman and eighth-grader Kevin Gough competed in the event at the University of Maryland from June 12 to 15, attracting over 2,600 students from across the United States and international schools.

National History Day, a nonprofit education organization dedicated to enhancing the teaching and learning of history, selected “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas” as the theme for this year’s contest. Aukeman presented his award-winning website titled “The First Modern Battleship,” which secured first place in the state competition held in April. Gough competed in the individual presentation category, impressing judges with his state-winning project “Wabash Indiana and the Frontier of Electric Lights.”

The event provided them with the opportunity to meet talented students from various backgrounds, explore historic states at the nation’s capital, and even meet Indiana senators at the Capitol building.

The success of Aukeman and Gough at the National History Day contest is a testament to their dedication, hard work, and the support they received from the Edgewood social studies department and librarian Susan Eberhardt. Their guidance and inspiration played a crucial role in preparing the students for this esteemed competition.