MSMS senior Harrison Shao became the first Mississippi student to win a first-place category in the National History Day competition, topping the Senior Paper category and winning approximately $11,000 in scholarships at the Washington, D.C. event this June.
Shao’s research on “How the Mass Production of Penicillin Became Possible in the Early 1940s” earned him a $1,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Scholarship and the $10,000 National History Academy Full Scholarship.
“I didn’t expect to win, that’s for sure. I don’t think anyone would, but I think I had a feeling that I did pretty well,” Shao said.
NHD is a program where students from grades 6-12 conduct research on a selected historical topic and present their project through various forms of media: exhibit, paper, documentary, website or performance. Historians and educators then evaluate each project. “Turning Points in History” was the topic for 2024.
Shao signed up for the NHD competition through history teacher Kayla Hester. Hester was one of Shao’s mentors throughout the entire process.
Hester said she was thrilled after hearing Shao had won first place.
“I know Harrison put in a lot of work into this project, and I was very happy for him especially since Mississippi has never had a first-place winner,” Hester said. “A major part of making a successful project is the student finding something they’re passionate about because it leads to their creativity and engagement.”
Hester requires all students in her University U.S. History class to submit an NHD project. Interested in medical history and its significance, Shao researched the mass production of penicillin and its role in medicine, made a first draft and received peer reviews before finalizing the project.
Shao said his win brought out an underappreciated aspect of MSMS.
“I think it brings the humanity side of MSMS to everyone because most people think MSMS is [just a] school for math and science,” Shao said. “I think our humanities and social science department is just as great if not better than the math and science departments.”
Shao said he entered the national competition to gain experience, never expecting to win. Reflecting on his process, he offered advice to others who hope to compete.
“If you do your best, the results speak for themselves,” Shao said. “You know your project the best, so don’t compare yourself to others and don’t get nervous at competitions. Even if you don’t win, you should be proud of how hard you worked.”
For his future plans, Shao said he is not done with his paper yet.
“This year, I want to publish my paper,” Shao said. “Then when I get my bachelor’s or master’s, I hope to publish a book.”
