CNUSD Historians Headed to State

CNUSD Students Step Into History at County Competition, Advance to State

Moreno Valley, CA - Students from the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) earned top honors at the 2026 Riverside County National History Day competition, with numerous projects advancing to the National History Day California State Competition this May.

Held at Canyon Springs High School, the annual event brought together nearly 500 students from across Riverside County to showcase original historical research aligned with this year’s theme: “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Students competed in a variety of categories including documentaries, performances, exhibits, websites, and podcasts.

CNUSD students demonstrated exceptional depth of knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking, earning placements across elementary, junior, and senior divisions. By finishing among the top competitors in their categories, these students will represent CNUSD and Riverside County at the state competition in Sacramento, May 1–3, 2026.

CNUSD’s strong showing reflects the work happening in classrooms every day to build strong readers, thinkers, and communicators. Students are applying literacy and research skills in ways that support long-term academic success.



CNUSD Students Advancing to State Competition

Elementary Division

Individual Podcast

  • Ocean George – “Tiny Chips, Big Changes: How Semiconductors Changed Our World”
    Lincoln Fundamental Elementary

  • Aksharaa Saravana – “The Scientific Revolution: Dolly's Legacy”
    Lincoln Fundamental Elementary

Individual Poster

  • Alisa Yi – “Yellowstone: A Revolutionary Idea That Changed America”
    Temescal Valley Elementary

  • Victoria Zhou – “Rachel Carson and the Environmental Movement”
    Garretson Elementary

  • Isaiah Miller – “Let the Children Play! How the Industrial Revolution Stole Childhood”
    Garretson Elementary

Group Poster

  • Jaylla Magaña, Cassadee Meyer – “From Ban to Bloom: The Dual Language Immersion Triumph”
    George Washington Elementary

  • Jeremiah Eliseo Cabildo, Declan Stott – “Chernobyl: The Explosion That Made History”
    Garretson Elementary

Junior Division (Grades 6–8)

Individual Documentary

  • Anchali Srirajan – “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire”
    Garretson Elementary

Group Documentary

  • Angela Ananthanathan, Ronov Ranjith – “America's Fight for Pure Food”
    Corona Fundamental Intermediate

  • Mahi Kotia, Sri Kritika Sayyaparaju – “Japan’s Transformation Through Animation”
    Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate

Individual Exhibit

  • Suhana Jakvani – “Anesthesia: Revolution, Reaction, Reform”
    Lincoln Fundamental Elementary

Individual Performance

  • Akshita Saravana – “Satyagraha: The Non-Violent Revolution”
    Corona Fundamental Intermediate

Group Performance

  • Aashni Elayaraja, Sophia Huang, Irina Lin, Jovita Rajasekar – “NOW and Women’s Rights”
    Clara Barton Elementary

Individual Podcast

  • Natalya Benor – “Mendez vs. Westminster”
    Clara Barton Elementary

Individual Website

  • Khloe Nguyen – “Japanese American Resistance After Pearl Harbor”
    Prado View Elementary

  • Mia Chapman – “Pauline Sabin and the End of Prohibition”
    El Cerrito Middle

Group Website

  • Ashley Murithi, Ahlanie Tovar – “The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”
    Dr. Bernice Todd Elementary

two students pose with their history day medals in front of a RCOE step and repeat sign wit big smiles on their facesHistory Day StudentsHistory dy students smiling with their certificates in front of a colorful Rosa Parks MuralThree CNUSD students posing in front o a colorful Rosa Parks mural at the History Day competitionThree history day students dressed in period clothing standing in front of their History Day ProjectCNUSD Students presenting their project to two judges at the History day competitiontwo CNUSD students posed together outdoors wearing professional suits smiling at the cameraTwo CNUSD students standing in front of a RCOE branded step and repeat at history day




CNUSD student smiling for the camera in front of an RCOE branded step and repeat at History DayA boy with an adorable smile posing with his medal at History Day in a gym.A student and a teacher give the camera smiles and thumbs up while sitting on the ground indoors at History DayA teacher standing with 2 students at History Day in front of large lit up letterstwo students standing while holding the imformational board about the subject of their History Day project inside a gym



Senior Division (Grades 9–12)

Group Documentary

  • Bryce Nguyen-Tran, Minh Tran – “The Murder of Vincent Chin”
    Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Individual Exhibit

  • Vidhi Vora – “Elizabeth Blackwell and Women in Medicine”
    Santiago High School

Group Exhibit

  • Riteesh Settypalli, Nilay Vora – “ACT UP and AIDS Medical Reform”
    Centennial High School

Group Performance

  • Belagia Faltas, Rohit Satheeshkumar, Roshhan Satheeshkumar – “The Antibiotics Revolution”
    Santiago High School

Group Podcast

  • Phoebe Heng, Saanvi Nukala – “Alan Turing’s Scientific Revolution”
    Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Group Website

  • Vivian Lee, Lena Lu – “Thalidomide: A Medical Revolution”
    Santiago High School


Looking Ahead

These students will go on to compete at the National History Day–California State Competition in Sacramento. Top finishers there will advance to the National History Day competition in Maryland this June.

CNUSD’s strong showing reflects the work happening in classrooms every day to build strong readers, thinkers, and communicators. Students are applying literacy and research skills in ways that support long-term academic success.