On Feb. 10, 2025, Linkhorne Middle School sixth grader Eve Flavin visited the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond for the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s annual “Virginia History Day on the Hill” event. She was one of a select group of elementary, middle, and high school students who earned the opportunity to participate in this event by placing first or second in the state-level 2024 Virginia History Day competition.
Flavin represented Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) as the sole student in the region to win the state competition and attend “Virginia History Day on the Hill.” Her research project, “The Choctaw Tribe and the Irish Potato Famine,” placed second in the individual exhibit category for her age division. Flavin toured the Capitol and presented her project before Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera, and other government officials and legislators. We sat down with Flavin to hear her reflections on the experience.
LCS: What was “Virginia History Day on the Hill” like?
FLAVIN: It was a cool experience. The governor and legislators walked around the room, shaking hands and hearing about our projects. I was definitely pretty nervous to talk about mine in front of the governor, but it was fun.
LCS: Tell us about your research project.
FLAVIN: It’s a really powerful story. When the potato famine happened in Ireland, people lost their main source of food. At the time, Britain was still ruling over Ireland, and they decided not to help; they left them to starve. The Choctaw Native Americans in Oklahoma heard about the Irish people’s struggle. In 1847, everyone in the tribe pitched in and raised $170 for food for the Irish. That would be worth around five thousand today. They’d been forced to walk the Trail of Tears not long before that, and they related to the Irish people’s struggle.
This act of foreign aid created an everlasting bond between the two people groups, even though they’re thousands of miles away. There are monuments in both Ireland and Oklahoma that symbolize the relationship between them.
Left: Flavin shakes hands with Governor Glenn Youngkin. Right: Flavin (third from the left on the bottom row) joins other state contest winners at the Virginia State Capitol.
LCS: You seem passionate about this story. What draws you to this topic, in particular?
FLAVIN: I first heard this story from my grandfather. He was very interested in it. I wanted to share it with other people because it’s such a cool story. Both my parents are Irish, and my family lives there. Being Irish is a big part of who I am. I’ve even seen the monument in Ireland.
LCS: What did you take away from this experience?
FLAVIN: A lot of people don’t know this story, so it’s cool to be able to share something unique. This project was a way to share my heritage with others through history. It was really fun to do–I love this type of thing.
LCS: How are you feeling about this year’s state Virginia History Day contest?
FLAVIN: My topic is “Brown v. Board of Education.” This topic is also meaningful to me because everyone should have the right to equal opportunities in education. My group and I made it into the state competition. I’m hoping to win again this year.
Flavin’s “Brown v. Board of Education” project placed second in the group website category in this year's regional competition. She’ll compete in the 2025 Virginia History Day state contest alongside 39 other LCS students. See a full list of state competitors from LCS here.
