10 Dec 2020
Telopea Park Student, Chanhyeok (Kevin) Wang, has been named ACT Young Historian and National Winner for Year 9 in the 2020 National History Challenge 
and in recognition of this, was awarded the Chief Minister’s History Prize, generously provided by the ACT Government.
The theme for this Year’s National History Challenge was ‘Contested Histories’ and encouraged students to be historians and research their chosen topic in-depth. Their responses could be submitted in a creative format of their choosing, from an essay to a video to a museum exhibit or PowerPoint.
Kevin took the initiative during a year where ways to pass the time were limited. Bored at home, he looked for something that would support his love of research and writing and came across the National History Challenge.
The National History Challenge is an historical research competition, which this year generated over 8000 entries.
“I found the theme, Contested Histories, really interesting. I thought there was a lot of room to manoeuvre and a lot of freedom with the theme and what I could choose to write about, while also giving me some direction,” Kevin said.
Two days before entries to the competition closed, Kevin approached his teacher James Knott about submitting his completed essay.
“It was all Kevin and the support of his parents. Due to Covid-19 remote learning, we hadn’t prompted the competition this year. I was really impressed with Kevin’s initiative,” Executive Teacher of Humanities at Telopea Park School, Natalie Bray, said.
Kevin wasn’t expecting to win when he was invited to the National History Challenge awards ceremony, he was just happy to be invited.
“When I actually heard my name, I almost couldn’t believe it, I really didn’t expect it. Winning both awards was fantastic and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped me during the process,” Kevin said.
Kevin has always been interested in history from a young age, as his grandparents and parents taught him the ancient and modern stories of his Korean heritage. He realised history could be fun when he read a Korean comic book which illustrated the histories and cultures of different countries.
“I enjoyed exploring other cultures and histories, it was fascinating. History is my favourite subject at school, and it has introduced me to other topics like politics and philosophy. Writing this essay helped me to recognise history’s importance even more than I did before,” Kevin said.
Kevin is excited to explore history further in the future and believes that students should be educated on the important role history plays in our lives.