Local 8th grader captures third regional title in History Day Contest, advances to state meet

Nora Gillum, an eighth-grade student at Dripping Springs Middle School, captured her third straight title at the Cen-Tex Regional History Day Contest on Saturday, Feb. 21, at St. Edward’s University in Austin.

A two-time defending Texas History Day champion, Gillum placed first in the Junior Division Individual Website category for her project, “The King’s Revolutions: Rethinking the Historical Significance of Elvis Presley in 1950s America.” Her website explores the 2026 National History Day theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform.”

With the regional victory, Gillum advances to compete at the Texas History Day Contest on Saturday, April 11, in Austin.

National History Day® (NHD) is a non-profit education organization that offers year-long academic programs that engage more than 500,000 middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest.