Young filmmaker heads to nationals

Eighth-grader Gabriel Heard is headed to the National History Day competition in College Park, Maryland.

The Toledo Early College student recently competed at the state level in Columbus, earning a spot in the national contest with his documentary, “Nina Simone: Enforcing the Power of the Human Voice (The Power to Make a Change).” He is the first junior high student from his school to advance to nationals.

Gabriel, described as mature, talented, and goal-oriented, has a passion for video creation and filmmaking. He also plays guitar and piano, both self-taught. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, a past national competitor, Gabriel hopes to continue developing his skills through higher education.

His family is raising funds to ensure he can attend the competition, where the first-place award is a $10,000 scholarship. Supporters can donate or share the effort.

To learn more or donate to see Gabriel Heard to nationals, please visit the GoFundMe here.