For History Day, Sophomore Eric Jones chose to research a topic with a personal connection — the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African Americans to serve as pilots in the US Military during World War Two.

“My great-grandfather was a Tuskegee Airman,” Jones said. “I learned that he was in the 332nd fighter group.”

Jones said he enjoyed learning new information about both the history of this military unit and his great-grandfather’s involvement in the war.

Many students complete school projects for the grade, but for some who participated in History Day on Dec. 16, the assignment provided an opportunity to explore historical topics while finding personal connections.

This year’s History Day theme is “Leadership and Legacy in History”. Head of the Social Studies Department, Carley Kregness, said while this theme is more limited in available topic ideas than some past themes, it does have some unique benefits.

“I like the fact that both of the parts of this year’s theme are really accessible to everybody,” Kregness said. “Leadership and legacy are just things that everybody can grab onto.”

Sophomore Raphy Gendler also chose a topic that spoke to him on a more personal level. He researched Theodor Herzl, the leader of political Zionism, who worked to create the modern State of Israel. Choosing a topic with a personal connection helped Gendler get more invested in his research.

“I’m a young Jewish person so I had a connection to Israel and Jewish leaders and I wanted to go beyond just religious leaders,” Gendler said.

Kregness said she encourages students to choose topics with personal connections or find connections with their subject throughout their research process.

“A lot of times the kids that are most passionate about their topics are the ones who do the best,” Kregness said. “I always encourage kids to (find connections) because then they’re really invested in their research and they like it and they work harder at it and it’s more fun for them.”

Unlike Jones and Gendler who chose their topics based on personal connections, sophomores Dylan Fritz and Jonathan Tshyteya found their connection to their topic while conducting their research. The pair researched and presented on Susan B. Anthony, a leader in the United States Women’s Suffrage Movement.

“I was kind of interested about her because Ms. Kregness told us about how she was such a brave woman and she was working hard to give women the right to vote in the USA,” Tshyteya said.

Over the course of the project, the pair learned lessons in group communication, as well as lessons from the actual subject material itself.

“I’d say with the topic specifically, (I learned about) just standing up and showing that you believe in what your standing for and standing on your own if you have to,” Fritz said.

Fritz and Tshyteya’s favorite part of the project was reading primary documents, like speeches from Anthony, to understand what she really stood for.

Kregness said History Day is one of the only ways high school-age students get experience in being historians.

“A lot of teaching history at this age level is learning facts and learning the separate pieces of the skills of a historian, but when you do History Day you’re really forced to do the entire process that a historian goes through,” Kregness said.

Winners of the school History Day competition are expected to be released by the end of this week. The list of those advancing to the regional level of competition will be announced in January.