Shakopee Junior Heads to Nationals After Winning State History Day Contest
By Ryan Dahnert
Shakopee High School junior Shaunya Kumar earned first place at the Minnesota State History Day competition, securing her spot at the prestigious National History Day contest in Washington, D.C. this June. Competing in the Senior Individual Documentary category, Kumar impressed judges with her original research and 10-minute film examining how international governments failed to defend human rights during Francisco Franco’s rule in Spain from 1939 to 1975.
The contest, Kumar describes as the “science fair” of history, challenges students to conduct in-depth academic research and present their findings through documentaries, papers, websites, exhibits, or performances. Kumar’s project, aligned with this year’s theme of Rights and Responsibilities in History, drew on rare archival footage, oral histories from Spanish survivors, and interviews with academic experts, including Professor Scott Boehm of Michigan State University. She also translated interviews from Spanish citizens preserved in the UC-San Diego Oral History Memory Project, which documents stories often overlooked by official narratives. “One of the most powerful parts of this project was hearing firsthand accounts from people who lived through Franco’s brutality and are still fighting for recognition today,” she said.
Kumar has been involved in National History Day since seventh grade and helped launch Shakopee High’s first History Day club, which has grown to have over 20 members. “This program has taught me how to dig deep, think critically, and advocate for myself,” she said. “I’ve become a better researcher, a better communicator, and a stronger student.”
Now, Kumar is raising funds to cover the $2,000 cost of attending Nationals at the University of Maryland, which includes travel, lodging, and registration. She has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her journey.
Learn more about the Minnesota History Day program at mnhs.org/historyday and the national contest at nhd.org.