Montverde freshman recognized for Lake County historical award
The Lake County Commission recently recognized Montverde freshman Kirk Reed, 14, for his achievements in the Lake County Historical Day annual competition.
Reed won the overall junior division with his research paper, “Cuban Missile Crisis: Stopping a Nuclear War with Debate and Diplomacy.”
"They told us to write about a subject dealing with diplomacy, and the first thing that came to mind was the Cuban Missile Crisis,” Reed said. “It wasn’t just behind the scenes. It was a major part of society, and the biggest event in history where we got the closest to the end of the world, with little to no violence.”
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The competition took place in February at Tavares High School, when Reed was an eighth grader at Round Lake Charter. Kids from all over the county brought in their history projects to compete against the best of the best. The theme this year was how diplomacy changed history.
“Today, we recognize Kirk as our overall junior division winner,” Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks said. “He is a straight A student, likes to play tennis and video games and his mother says he is an exceptional kid every way.”
Lake County School Board Chairman Stephanie Luke was in attendance to support Reed as he received his recognition award.
“I read his paper and I was amazed,” Luke said. “It was equal to that of the college students I teach. I just think his referencing and ability to communicate his point is exceptional and I’m so proud of him. This is experience will prepare him for his years to come.”
This feat allowed Reed to compete at the state competition and he hopes to participate again next year. His paper will also be on display at the Lake County Historical Museum.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Student in Lake County, Florida honored for research project
