PLUM SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | ONE MINUTE READ
Kacie Persia, a senior at Plum Senior High, has placed first in the senior historical papers category for the 2020 National History Day competition sponsored by the Senator John Heinz History Center. The theme this year is Breaking Barriers in History.
She placed for her paper titled, “The Saudi Women’s Movement: A Perpetual Fight for Human Rights” — a competition essay for the National History Day Contest offered by the Pittsburgh Heinz History Center. Kacie worked with her Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) coordinator Mrs. Jenna Romanelli and Mrs. Lynda Frazetta, Social Studies Teacher, as well as the school’s Social Studies dept. She advances to the Pennsylvania State Contest which is usually held in Carlisle, PA but will be virtual this year.
Kacie said, “The National History Day competition was a great opportunity for me to look deeper into the gender disparity in Saudi Arabia and the systematic oppression of Saudi women. While gender equality has made leaps of progress worldwide, it is important for us to acknowledge that we still have a ways to go before achieving global gender parity.”
The National History Day competition defines a unique historical theme each year to “...encourage middle and high school students to research history in an exciting and creative way.” The competition pulls talent from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Submissions can come from an individual or group. Students can create exhibits, produce documentaries, write papers, design websites, or produce stage performances.
“This was the first year Plum participated in this Social Studies competition,” said Romanelli. “We hope to get more students involved next year. Kacie worked so hard to be sure that her paper gave a clear and unbiased history of the progression of the Saudi Women's Movement. She is an exceptional young person with great ambition.”
You can read Kacie’s paper here.