Contest Prompt
The 2024-25 contest theme was Americans and the Holocaust.
Holocaust history raises important questions about what the international community and the United States could have done to stop the rise of Nazism in Germany and its assault on Europe’s Jews. Once war began, Allied governments prioritized the military defeat of Germany over humanitarian efforts. Yet during this time some action was taken by individuals and, limitedly, by the U.S. government in response to the increasingly dire situation of European Jews.
A successful essay or documentary entry addressed both portions of the following prompt with a minimum of one-fourth of the finished work devoted to the reflection.
- Research: Describe the motivations and outcomes of a non-military action or policy taken by the U.S. government or American citizens to address the persecution of European Jews between 1933 and 1945. Discuss how these actions impacted the European Jewish community or Jewish individuals, citing specific examples.
- Reflection: Based on your research, what responsibility do you believe the U.S. has toward refugees and immigrants in today’s world?
Students were encouraged to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s online exhibition “Americans and the Holocaust” to gain essential background information about this contest topic.
Awards
The 2024-25 White Rose Student Research Awards Ceremony was held on Monday, April 28, 2025. During the ceremony, the award winners were recognized.
First Place: Sebastian Flores
Sebastian Flores is an eighth grader from Wilmington, NC. When he’s not swimming or playing tennis, he’s probably reading, experimenting in the kitchen, or fishing with his older brother in the Intracoastal, hoping to catch something bigger than just a story to tell.
Flores, who was advised by Britt Rogers (New Hanover County Schools), received first place for his essay. Click here to read his essay, or click here for a reading by Flores.
Second Place: Statton Solak
Statton Solak is a freshman at Camden County High School in Camden, NC, where he is a member of the football, swim, and JV baseball teams. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports and video games with his younger brothers and friends, while also helping his dad fix cars, trucks, and other equipment in their workshop. History has always been Statton’s favorite subject, and he especially enjoys reading about military history.
Solak, who was advised by Wesley Young (Camden County High School), received second place for his essay. Click here to read his essay.
Acknowledgements
Appalachian State's Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies thanks the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to the inaugural White Rose Student Research Contest.
Sponsors
- The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
- The Gizella Gross Abramson Resource Center for Holocaust and Civil Rights Education
- The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust
- Anonymous Donors
Steering Committee
- Carrie Boone (Watauga High School)
- Amy Hudnall (Appalachian State Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies)
- Mary McKenzie (Ashe County High School)
- Jenny Morris (Appalachian State Department of History)
- Betsy Rosenbalm (Appalachian State Reich College of Education)
- Rwany Sibaja (Appalachian State Department of History)
Contest Judges
- Judges: Bonnie Berkowicz, Michael Berkowicz, Stacie Dotson, Vera Hirschorn, Floris Leipzig, Harold McKinney, Ron Ruthfield, Vicki Simmons, Nancy Tolbert Vance, and Liz Weide
- Alternative Judges: Bill Boyd, Zohara Boyd, Davis Hankins, Shirley Harris, Tim Harris, Maggie McFadden, Medina Roy, Beth Hudnall Stamm, and Henry Stamm
- Blue Ribbon Judges: Dorothea Hoffman, Lee Holder, and Amy Hudnall