Centre County Historical Society Honors Aspiring Historians at Awards Ceremony

STATE COLLEGE, PA. —The Centre County Historical Society recognized the accomplishments of area high school students at an awards ceremony held on August 30, 2026 at the Centre Furnace Mansion, celebrating the inaugural participants in the Society’s Aspiring Historian Program.

Twenty students from Bellefonte, Penns Valley, and State College submitted projects for consideration in the program’s first year, with ten students selected to receive awards. Designed to become a county-wide project, the Aspiring Historian Program encourages young people to explore the history of their communities through original research and projects.

The program was created to help students develop a deeper connection to Centre County’s past while introducing them to historical research. Students were encouraged to investigate topics of local significance using primary and secondary sources and to present their findings through historical papers, documentaries, or websites. Prizes included $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third.

 Winners were:

Bellefonte Area High School

Hannah Doehrer,  first place — Documentary: The Pennsylvania Match Factory in Bellefonte, a familiar local landmark that sparked her curiosity about the history behind a place she had passed many times.

Meara Maloy, second place — Website: State College Junior Drum and Bugle Corps History documents the history of the organization and its positive impact on the Centre County community.

Kimber Hough, third place — Documentary: My Family Farms History features the history of her grandparents’ Wasson Farm in State College, demonstrating how significant stories can be found within the history of an individual family and their land.

Penns Valley High School

Hannah Herklotz, first place – Research paper: Aaronsburg delves into the fascinating eighteenth century history of the town of Aaronsburg, PA and the famous gathering in the town of 30,000 people to celebrate social justice after World War II.

Brandt Martin, second place — Research paper: The Legacy of the Centre County Grange Fair explores the history of the Grange Fair, a Centre County tradition with which his family has been connected for generations.

Hope Wolfe, third place — Research paper: The Old Improvement, presents a mysterious stone foundation discovered during  her family’s hunting in the area and one that provided an opportunity to explore a lesser-known aspect of local history.

State College Area and Delta High Schools

Benny Gulis, first place — Research paper: Behind the Wheel in Centre County: The Birth of Driver’s Education details the history of driver education in Centre County and its remarkable development from a local innovation into a national program.

Cooper Palma, second place — Website: A look at the State College Area School District Through Three Generations compares his own experience at State High with those of his mother and grandmother, examining changes in student life across three generations and the historic events that shaped their school years.

Owen Jacobson, co-winner Third Place – Research paper: The Pennsylvania State College in the First World War examines ways the First World War shaped the Pennsylvania State College through its wartime programs, student life, and military service.

Madison Mercogliano, co-winner third place — Research paper: How the Vietnam War Reshaped Centre County looks at student activism during the Vietnam War era, drawing on primary documents to explore students’ perspectives and connections with the present.

"It's no secret that history as an area of interest typically attracts primarily older Americans," commented Dr. William Blair, co-chair of the project. "Through this effort we hope to light a fire for history among young people so they can gain a deeper sense of the communities in which they live." He added that judges were delighted with the range of projects that illustrated the many ways Centre County history can be explored—from schools, farms, and community traditions to music, industry, student activism, and everyday places that might otherwise be overlooked.

The Aspiring Historian Program is supervised by co-chairs Blair, emeritus Penn State professor of American History and Vice President of the Centre County Historical Society Board of Governors, and Debrah Poveromo, retired social studies teacher from State College Area High School. Teachers supporting the project included Matthew Maris from Bellefonte Area High School, Martin Tobias from Penns Valley High School, Jessica James from State College Area High School, and Lynda Hauman from the State College Delta High School.

The 2026 pilot program included students from three area school districts, with the Society intending to expand the program to additional Centre County high schools in future years.

The program’s first year was made possible through support from the George S. MacManus Publishing Company, Larry and Lynne Brown, and the Anne Hamilton Henszey Pyle and Kenneth B. Pyle Educational Fund for Regional Heritage Preservation of the Centre County Historical Society.

The Centre County Historical Society encourages the community to learn more about the Aspiring Historian Program and the Society’s many resources for exploring Centre County history at centrehistory.org.

About the Centre County Historical Society

The Centre County Historical Society preserves, interprets, and shares the history of Centre County, Pennsylvania, connecting people with the stories, places, and experiences that have shaped the county. Through its historic sites, collections, educational programs, exhibitions, publications, and research resources, the Society works to make Centre County history accessible to current and future generations.