An eighth-grade Social Studies project led Highland Lakes resident Aubrey Williams and two teammates to a fourth-place finish at this year’s Ohio History Day state competition.

The group’s short documentary explored the relationship between fashion and the changing status of women in World War I. The three eighth-graders used visuals from the time period and an engaging voiceover to tell the story of how, as women’s fashion evolved, so too did their roles and rights in society.

“Because of resource depletion and women having to go to work for basically the first time, women's fashion had to change drastically. Corsets, hobble skirts, and tight-fit clothing just wouldn't cut it,” Aubrey explains. “Women needed working clothes, and that encouraged the revolution of women who wanted more rights.”

The team presented their documentary at the regional Ohio History Day competition at the Ohio Statehouse on March 14, earning a spot at the state competition at Capital University on April 18. There, they reached the second and final round of judging, where their fourth-place finish narrowly missed qualifying them for National History Day in Washington, DC. Each advancement brought the team excitement and affirmed the hard work they had invested in the project.

During the first two rounds of the contest, judges interviewed the girls after screening their documentary. Answering the judges’ questions was one of Aubrey’s favorite parts of the experience, especially at the state-level competition. “I could really tell they were interested in our knowledge of the topic and wanted to see what we learned,” Aubrey recalls.

The team’s eighth-grade Social Studies teacher was Leslie Thompson, who was recently honored as a Teacher of the Year by Westerville VFW Post 7883. Ms. Thompson was a crucial support to the group, encouraging them to pursue their research and improve the organization of the project, and even cheering them on in person at both competitions. 

“Ms. Thompson was there every step of the way. She even stayed up waiting for an email from us confirming we had submitted our project to the Ohio History Day competition,” Aubrey shares. “She also was an amazing motivation from the creation of our documentary to presenting it, and I'm so grateful.”

Ms. Thompson stressed the importance of students choosing a topic that interests them, and she could see that as the team learned more about the fashion revolution, their understanding evolved from what changed to why it changed. She observed that their diligent and organized research led to “aha” moments that intrigued and inspired them. “As I watched the girls work, they were passionate about the topic to the point where it didn't prove burdensome at all,” Ms. Thompson notes.

Aubrey says she not only learned more about the documentary’s topic, but she also gained valuable research skills. The experience challenged the team and helped them develop as scholars, something Ms. Thompson saw firsthand throughout the competition process.

“Watching them at the state competition, I couldn't help but think of how much they had grown through this experience,” Ms. Thompson says of Aubrey and her teammates. “Disciplined, composed, gracious, and experts in their work. This was the true prize that they will carry with them into high school!”

As Aubrey heads to Westerville Central this fall, she hopes to compete in another Ohio History Day and would especially appreciate the opportunity to work with her two partners again. With the skills and experiences gained this year, perhaps next year’s journey will lead all the way to National History Day in Washington, DC.