Pennington Student Earns Berth at National History Day Competition

Release, Prince William County Schools: 

For the fourth straight year, a Pennington Traditional School student has earned the right to represent PWCS and Virginia at the National History Day competition. Eighth-grader Joshua Abreu has advanced through regional and state level competitions to capture the honor. At the state level, Joshua placed second and also received the Naval History Award sponsored by the National Capitol Commander of the Naval order of the United States for an outstanding student project in the Junior Division that documents and analyzes any aspect of Naval History. 

Joshua's website is called "Montford Marines Marching Towards Equality." After 167 years, the ban was lifted on African Americans joining the Marines. These brave men who took on the responsibility of breaking the color barrier are now known as the Montford Marines. They fought for their right to fight overseas as well as fight for civil rights at home. Their service discredited misconceived racial prejudices and paved the way for future generations.

National History Day is a year-long educational program designed for students in grades 6–12. Throughout the school year, students conduct research of primary and secondary resources in order to prepare presentations based on an annual theme. This year students incorporated the 2014 theme, “Rights and Responsibilities in History,” into research papers, exhibits, documentaries, Web sites and performances to win top honors. The program culminates in a series of contests held at the regional, state, and national levels.

The National History Day event is scheduled to take place June 15-19 at the University of Maryland, College Park. The History Channel® will webcast the NHD awards ceremony live from the Comcast Center at the University of Maryland between 8:30–11:30 a.m. ET on June 19.