SACRAMENTO — Orestimba High School incoming senior Kelly Zapien capped her sixth year in National History Day with a finalist finish and a statewide longevity award during the May 1–2 competition in Sacramento, where she represented her school with a documentary on former First Lady Betty Ford.
Zapien advanced to the state contest after winning first place at the Stanislaus County level with her documentary, “A First Lady’s Revolution: Betty Ford’s Battle to Reform the Taboo of Breast Cancer.” She said competing at the state level — with her family in the audience and her father serving as her coach — was an experience she will never forget.
“It was an incredible experience having my family there with me,” she said. “I advanced into the Top 15 finalist round, and on May 2, the Top 3 projects were announced for qualification to the national competition in Maryland.”…