Two San Diego Eighth Graders Take Top Prize in National C-SPAN Documentary Contest

Two eighth graders from Correia Middle School in San Diego have won first place in C-SPAN's annual student documentary competition. Helena de la Houssaye and Harper Haden will receive $3,000 for their film, which examines the connection between the "No Kings" protests and the country's founding.

This year's StudentCam entrants were asked to build their work around America's 250th anniversary and the Declaration of Independence. Haden said the topic immediately made her think of the No Kings movement, because today's advocates share concerns about personal freedom with the Founding Fathers. She had recently joined a No Kings protest in downtown San Diego with her family and friends.

"If you think about it, the Declaration of Independence was a No Kings movement in and of itself," Haden said. "It was the American colonists saying that they wanted to cut their ties with Britain, and that they didn't want to be ruled by a monarchy."

The pair said they wanted a subject that is timely and has a local impact. Their interviewees included San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, Monica Montgomery Steppe, vice chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, an organizer of the local protests, several attendees, and a representative of the San Diego ACLU. De la Houssaye said the message from everyone they spoke with was that people should know their rights, and that everybody has the freedom of speech and the freedom to protest. Both students hope the film shows viewers that they can exercise their First Amendment rights and make a difference.

The students began the project in their English and history class, taught by Stacey Tinsley and Keri Clark. Clark said the class builds a project around the competition when the topic fits what is being taught that year. Groups work for about five weeks, after which the class holds a watch party and students may submit their films to C-SPAN, with help from other teachers and families. "They're our future leaders," Clark said. "They just need to know that their voice — they have a voice and that it matters."

This was the second year the two entered through the class. Last year, their documentary on the effects of fentanyl crossing the U.S. border with Mexico earned second prize. That 2025 entry was the first documentary either had made. The two met in kindergarten and have attended the same schools since, but say working on two films together has brought them closer. De la Houssaye said they realized they had similar work ethics and decided to team up. Both have since developed a love of filmmaking, and they will still be eligible for the competition when they start high school in the fall.

StudentCam is open to students in grades 6 through 12 nationwide. Each year, participants produce a five- to six-minute documentary on an issue affecting their community and the nation.

Three other films from Tinsley and Clark's class also earned recognition. Josie Connor and Mia Martin's documentary on the Writers Guild of America strike and Celeste Stout's project on United States v. Virginia each won third prize. Myla Hannah and Elsa Elkovitch received an honorable mention for their film on gun violence. "Everybody was happy for everybody," de la Houssaye said, and Haden added that when one person does well, it feels as though the whole class has.

The winning documentary, titled "This Is What Democracy Looks Like," is scheduled to air on C-SPAN on April 17.