Thursday, October 1, 2026
Zoey Pinto has always compared her schoolwork to others in her quest to be better. That strength and persistence have helped her earn first place at the New York State National History Day competition.
Hosted at SUNY Oneonta on April 26, students explore local, state, national and world history, starting at the beginning of the school year. For Pinto, she chose to examine the Radium Girls, factory workers during the early 1900s who helped advance labor rights and workplace safety.
“I wanted to see how a woman made a revolutionary change,” Pinto said.
Pinto’s journey began in Joseph Hoffman’s class. The seventh-grade social studies teacher said her selection was unique. “She loves the workplace environment.” Hoffman said. “She was tough on that, which is great. You want kids to be different.”
At the beginning of the year, students are exposed to book tastings, where they can find information in mediums such as books and articles. Hoffman said students are doing college work, examining primary and secondary sources on websites like the Nassau Library Association.
“It gave me an opportunity to start on my paragraphs and help me expand my research,” Pinto said. “It also helped me improve my individual skills.”
As students prepare their project, they can choose between a website, documentary, a research paper, a performance, or an exhibit. Pinto chose to do an exhibit — a fantastic one, Hoffman says.
“[Zoey] is an artsy kind of kid,” Hoffman said. “She really wanted to show her creativity through research and art, which really shows out with her.”
At the first competition on Feb. 12 at the middle school, Pinto secured a top score, which qualified for regionals on at Hofstra University. There, she went up against schools across Long Island before advancing as a finalist to Oneonta.
“In the beginning, it was a lot to handle,” Pinto said. “But as I went through the levels, I started gaining my confidence.”
As she approaches the national stage, Pinto continues to fine-tune her paragraphs. Pinto said she’s also looking to add more detail to her diorama. Hoffman said Pinto would often ask him about past winners and noted that he could “see the gears turning” in her head.
“[Zoey] always wants to find more and more information,” Hoffman said. “She wants to reach new heights.”
Sam Pinto, Zoey’s father and a trustee on the Board of Education, applauded his daughter’s efforts.
“She worked really hard on it,” Sam said. “My wife and I are really proud of her.”
Pinto will now compete at the National History Day finals in College Park, Maryland, this June.
