At the September 15 meeting of the Great Neck Board of Education, North High School sophomore Braydon Chen was honored by Board trustees and elected officials for his first-place win in the 2026 National History Day contest.

Braydon’s project, “Groundwork for Stability: How Hamilton Turned Reaction to Reform and Built American Finance,” won the top award in the senior individual performance category at the prestigious national competition, held at the University of Maryland in late June. In addition to winning first place, Braydon was also awarded a National History Academy scholarship to attend a residential summer program exploring American history at the nation’s most significant historic sites.

Braydon was presented proclamations by Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Christine Liu; Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dan Holtzman, on behalf of New York State Assemblyman Daniel Norber; and by Board Vice President Steve Chen on behalf of the entire Board. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, and New York State Congressman Suozzi have also sent letters and citations congratulating Braydon and his faculty advisor, North High social studies teacher John-Paul Mannebach, on this national achievement.