Two Riverside Unified School District students will compete at the National History Day competition June 8–12 at the University of Maryland, College Park, after winning state championships in Sacramento.
Georgia Nunez-Corvera of Sierra Middle School won the Junior Individual Exhibit category for her project on Sesame Street’s role in educational rights. Layla Wescott of Amelia Earhart Middle School won the Junior Individual Website category for her project on the 1977 disability rights protests.
The students were among 67 California winners selected from 1,500 participants representing 248 schools across 25 counties at the state competition May 4.
"We are excited to go to Washington, D.C., in a few weeks and represent Riverside County," said William Wescott, Layla’s father. "Both my wife and I attended UCR and are proud members of this community."
Georgia's project, Sunny Days: Sesame Street's Fight for Educational Rights, Equality, and Media Responsibility, examined how the children’s television show addressed educational inequality during the Civil Rights era. Her mother, Annie, said Georgia selected the topic because the show’s treatment of topics like parental addiction, incarceration, disability and foster care "helped her feel seen, heard and understood."
Georgia manages severe nystagmus, a visual impairment causing continuous blurred vision, while participating in cheer, band, Girl Scouts, AVID and the PBS Club. She is pursuing dual enrollment at Riverside City College focusing on the medical/RN track and plans to attend Cornell University for veterinary school.
Layla’s project, No More Negotiations, Sign 504: How Disabled Americans Fought for Their Rights in the 504 Sit-In, documented the 26-day occupation of the San Francisco Federal Building that forced implementation of disability rights law. She interviewed Corbett O’Toole, who participated in the protests.
"Her grandfather is a disabled United States Navy and Air Force veteran who relies on these ramps, elevators and disabled parking every day," William Wescott said of his daughter’s interest in disability rights.
This was Layla’s third year competing in National History Day. After failing to advance past district competition last year, "she decided on her own to compete again," her father said. "She worked on nights, weekends and school breaks to make sure she was putting her best foot forward."
Layla maintains a 4.0 GPA and received the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. She plays piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music Piano Academy, participates in yearbook and will attend JFK Middle College next year to earn an associate degree while completing high school. A recent trip to Alcatraz has sparked her interest in pursuing law to continue working on social justice issues.
"The Riverside Unified students who have made it to the national level have put countless hours into developing their projects," said Carolyn Power, RUSD advisor for the National History Day program. "Their hard work and determination have brought them to the penultimate level of competition. We are very excited that they’ll be representing RUSD and California in College Park this June."
Nearly 3,000 students from across the United States and international schools will compete at the national competition. Students will be judged Monday, June 9, with an awards ceremony Thursday, June 12, at the Xfinity Center.
Winners in each category receive cash prizes, with first-place winners earning $1,000, second place $500 and third place $250. First-place winners also receive the designation of National Endowment for the Humanities Scholars. Additionally, National History Day awards special prizes for outstanding entries on specific historical topics.
