A Massapequa High School student has made quite the impression with his knowledge of United States History. Ryan Engrassia, a ninth grader at the Ames Campus, was a regional semifinalist in the Presidential 1776 Award competition.
After his success on an online test in February, Ryan was invited to participate in the second round of the competition on May 2 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. He was one of only four students from New York State selected and there were 173 total participants nationwide among five regional events.
The Presidential 1776 Award is part of a national civics competition, open to students in grades 9-12. It offers a challenge to students who have an interest in history and the ideas that shaped the founding of the United States.
The regional semifinals featured a live, verbal format in which students were asked questions and had to respond out loud, earning one point per correct answer. Ryan said that most of the questions focused on the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, as well as the structure of government. He answered six of the nine questions correctly and although he didn’t advance further in the competition, Ryan was proud of his achievement.
“I think it was a great experience,” he said. “I got to meet a lot of new people.”
Ryan was one of only a few freshmen in the competition. Ninth grade social studies focuses on World History so his competitors included juniors who are finishing up a year of Advanced Placement United States History.
In between the two rounds, Ryan did a lot of studying, as the competition provides a wealth of online resources for students. Questions drew from documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Federalist Papers, as well the founders’ philosophies and key historical events.
Ryan’s history teacher, Tara Camilleri, commended him on his hard work, commitment and for representing Massapequa with pride on a regional stage.
“He’s a very smart, enthusiastic student,” Ms. Camilleri said. “He invested a lot of time preparing for the competition. He’s good at retaining information and he really understands it.”