Ribbons for History: Stellar Performance Wins 1st at History Fair, 2nd at State, Heads to Nationals

PANAMA CITY, FL - Caelyn Northway, an 8th grader at Breakfast Point Academy, won 1st place at the 2025 Tom Barefield History Fair for her 9-minute performance on Germaine de Staël. Placing 2nd at the Florida History Day Contest, she qualified for the National History Day (NHD) competition, June 8–12, at the University of Maryland.

Miss Northway, won the Blue Ribbon for 1st place for her stunning performance on February 12th, in the Junior Individual Performance division of the 2025 Tom Barefield History Fair for students in the Junior Division (grades 6–8), at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.  Caelyn presented from memory, a 9-minute Performance, “Mistress to an Age:  The French Enlightenment, Revolutionary & Napoleonic Salons and Germaine De Stael’s Rights and Responsibility in History.”

This qualified her to compete, on May 8th, in the 2025 Florida History Day Contest at Tallahassee State College, wherein she placed 2nd in Junior Individual Performance.  Nearly 900 middle and high school students from 27 counties across Florida participated.

Fifty-six (56) first- and second-place state winners in each category and division earned the right to represent Florida at the National History Day (NHD) competition, being held June 8th through 12th.  Caelyn is ecstatic and is preparing to go with her mother, Ashley Smith, to NHD at the University of Maryland, College Park.  

When asked how she felt competing during the events, Caelyn said, “It was a stressful but fun and awarding process.  County was a fun day at the college.  I went early in the competition for a set of judges that made me feel welcome and proud of my project.  At state, it was a bit different.  There was a lot more intimidating competition and the environment was stressful.  But with the help of my teachers, friends and my mom, I had a great day doing my performance for two sets of judges that were a bit scary but seeing my teacher and my mom in the back of the room, I felt confident!  The thought of going to Nationals is petrifying to say the least, but it will be an amazing experience to see Washington, D.C., Maryland, and all the competition has to offer.”

Three other projects from Bay County also qualified to advance to the national contest:  

Henry Wellhausen, University Academy, Junior Individual Performance; Skylar Carter, Kenley Maddox, Toby Livingston, Yaretzi Delgado Abarca, Kalissa Pate, Mowat Middle School, Junior Group Performance; and Asaf Cohen, John Patronis, Breakfast Point Academy, Junior Group Exhibit.  There will be students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Matiana Islands, Department of Defense Schools in the Atlantic, and international schools in China, Korea and elsewhere. 

NHD is a very prestigious and highly regarded academic program that has engaged half a million students each year, for the past 50 years, in grades six through twelve.  The 2025 NHD theme was Rights and Responsibilities in History.  This broad theme allows students to explore a wide range of topics, from family and local history to national and world history.  

Congratulations to every participant, especially to those going to NHD.  Each one has proven themselves to be a winner!