iUniversity Prep junior Hayden Rockaway will compete in the National History Day contest June 14-18 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. She earned a berth to nationals after winning second place at the Texas History Day competition held April 11 at the University of Texas in Austin.
Rockaway won in the Historical Paper category with her work titled “Dr. Charles R. Drew and the Bloody Revolution: Fighting Medical Racism while Transforming Plasma Storage Applications.” The paper was based on Dr. Charles Richard Drew, an African American surgeon who pioneered blood transfusion and blood banking during World War II. Historical Paper is one of five categories in the competition and must be an original creation, showing historical research, analysis and argument in a written format.
An aspiring chemical engineer who plans to pursue a career in the medical field or health sciences, Rockaway said, “Researching the history of science, medicine, and technology for NHD has really shaped that goal.”
iUP history teacher and the school’s NHD advisor Chad Hannon said that Rockaway has competed in NHD since seventh grade, earning top places multiple times. In 2023, Rockaway placed fourth and in 2025 won third for her paper "Ethical Responsibilities and Informed Consent in the Doctor’s Trial: The Nuremberg Code as the Basis for Protecting Medical Human Rights in the Modern World.”
Good luck at nationals!