So Much More Than a History Day Project
Four Holland High School students will have a national stage to present the legacy of Ryan White, whose courageous battle with AIDS drew international attention.
Jaime Coon, Sneha Goswami, Alexandria Klomparens and David Moore will compete at the National History Day (NHD) in the Senior Division Group Documentary at the University of Maryland from June 14-18. Their project "Ryan White: Changing the Face of AIDS," tells of the impact the teenager from Kokomo, Indiana made on educating the our nation about AIDS.
Until Ryan White's struggle made the news, AIDS was largely associated with the male homosexual community. "We are helping share his story to others," said Klomparens, a three-time finalist at National History Day. "His story really did change the face of AIDS in our country."
"Ryan's life and death showed how just one person can make a difference," said Moore, a junior.
Four-time national finalist Jaime Coon agreed with Moore. "Ryan proved to all that education can fight prejudice, not just related to AIDS but for everything," she said. "He was able to change our understanding of AIDS from a 'one of them' disease to a 'one of us' disease.
The students teamed-up to make a 10 minute DVD for the NHD entry. "Creating this was harder than you might think. There's lot of material out there to research, write, and then edit." Klomparens said.
White contracted the HIV virus from a contaminated blood treatment for his hemophilia, an affliction in which even minor injures can lead to severe bleeding. Diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, Ryan was given just six months to live but surprised his doctors by living until April, 1990. During that six year period, he endured prejudice, and battles with some fellow students and their parents along with teachers who sought have him expelled from school due to fear and misinformation.
"So much of that hatred toward Ryan was uncalled for," said Goswami, a sophomore. "We want to share his message of optimism and acceptance."
Through his ordeal, Ryan became a national spokesman for AIDS research and appeared frequently with Hollywood celebrities, sports stars and on national news shows such as Good Morning America, Today, Nightline and PrimeTime Live. In 1989, ABC made the movie, "The Ryan White Story."
This winter, the students did a lot of research on their own and met frequently together to mold their DVD project, but they also went the extra mile (or in this case, hundreds of miles). They traveled to Indiana to meet with four people who knew Ryan personally.
"Our best sources were these personal interviews," Goswami said. The students interviewed Ryan's best friend, Heather Stephenson; Iris Beechler, his school nurse; Mary Baker, a close family friend; and Jeanne White, Ryan's mother.
The students didn't originally plan on meeting Ryan's mom since she now lives in Florida. However, while the students were in Indiana one weekend they learned she was coming to Indiana the next day. They decided to stay over — and the visit was a delight for both the students and Mrs. White.
The individuals who knew Ryan best are grateful for the students' work on making his accomplishments known. "They told us, 'You are his legacy, you are sharing his story," Coon said. "Meeting them was life-changing for us."
White's mother founded the nonprofit Ryan White Foundation to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS related issues. It later merged with AIDS Action.
David Moore summed up their project well. "Two decades ago, Ryan White tried to teach us that anyone can get AIDS," Moore said. "It was his courage in confronting fear that changed the face of AIDS."
