Lawrence Student Makes History While in Midst of History

James Gow, a Lawrence Middle School (LMS) 8th grader, found himself in the midst of the United States government and history as he competed in the national level of National History Day (www.nhd.org) at the University of Maryland the week of June 9.    

This was the first time an LMS student has reached this level of the competition.

Gow first won New Jersey regional and state competitions in the Junior Individual web site division of the contest before earning the honor of competing against 95 students in his category on the national stage. Various competition categories brought 2,500 students to the national event.

Gow’s web site topic is “Martin Luther: A Turning Point in the Political and Religious History of the World.” 

Take a look at: http://54106111.nhd.weebly.com/. As he did during the state round of competition, Gow presented and defended his topic choice to a panel of judges at the national level.

Lawrence Township Public Schools (LTPS) enrichment teacher Priscilla Taylor accompanied Gow to the national competition. She met teachers from Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii, and numerous mainland states and was treated to an all-day tour and workshop for teachers at the Library of Congress.

While Gow did not win a medal, several people commented to Ms. Taylor that it’s remarkable for him to have made the finals his first year. He’s a winner in our book!

--Lawrence Township Public Schools