A Lorena Middle School student will share a dramatic page of history June 14 with visitors at the Smithsonian National History Museum in Washington, D.C.

Collin Cresson, who will be an eighth-grader this fall, is one of nine students from around the nation selected to present their individual projects for the National History Day competition at the museum.

Collin’s project, titled “Taking a Stand, Turning the Tide,” is a one-man dramatic interpretation of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, which represented a turning point for Allied forces in World War II, on June 6, 1944. Collin portrays a soldier, a medic, a paratrooper and even General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 10-minute performance.

In keeping with this year’s National History Day theme, “Taking a Stand in History: People, Ideas, Events,” Collin’s performance examines the crucial Normandy invasion and the courageous stands different individuals took to defeat German forces during World War II.

“National History Day has taught me how to research a time in history and make it come alive,” he said. “I am really excited to show my project at the Smithsonian.”

Collin and the other students selected to perform at the Smithsonian were  part of a larger group of more than 2,000 finalists participating in the National History Day competition June 11-15 at the University of Maryland. 

Collin’s project took second place honors at this year’s Texas History Day competition in April in Austin. To prepare for his performance, Collin interviewed World War II veterans and researched his subject matter through books and secondary sources. An elderly relative provided details of his experiences in the war, though not specifically at Normandy, which also contributed to Collin’s project.

“He’s just always loved history,” Collin’s mother, Laura Cresson, said.

Pat Browder, a Lorena Middle School history teacher and the history fair sponsor, said students pick a history fair topic in August.

All Lorena students are required to participate in the local history fair, but some students who get more involved with their topics progress to the regional level.

From there, some qualify for state and national competition. “They get a lot of information out of it, and they have a lot of fun,” Browder said.