Stellar scholars — Winners in Class of 2008 have some impressive resumes and skills
Wednesday night, the teen pianist added sterling to her list of accomplishments.
Brinton, who is completing her international baccalaureate diploma and has accepted an "early admit" to Stanford University, was honored with both the Music Sterling Scholar award and the 2008 General Scholarship Sterling Scholar award — the "MVP of all Sterling Scholars," as co-host and Channel 5 meteorologist Kevin Eubank put it — at the 2008 Deseret Morning News/KSL Television Sterling Scholar Awards ceremony at Cottonwood High School.
The honors, which come with $4,500 in cash for the grand prize winner, culminate weeks of competition with 676 of Utah's most gifted young artists and academics. They also afford bragging rights in a family where four children have competed in the Sterling Scholar program.
"They push me to develop my talents and improve my technique," said the West student body president, who performs all over the world with her mother, Sally Brinton, and sister, Stephanie, the 2006 Music Sterling Scholar. "Finally," she said of the awards, "it's my turn."
"I'm the first in my school to ever win," said Bear River High's Brittney Selman, who won top honors in trade and technical education. "I'm almost crying."
The Sterling Scholars program was created in 1962 by Deseret News education editor Lavor K. Chaffin, who patterned the program after a Florida newspaper's endeavor to honor academic excellence in the same way athletic achievements are lauded. Now, five regional programs in Utah bear the name and will involve more than 1,200 students this year.
The Wednesday awards ceremony singled out 15 winners from 676 nominees from 52 Wasatch Front high schools. Sterling Scholar winners in 13 academic categories receive $2,000 in cash, with the general scholarship winner receiving an additional $2,500. Two runners-up in each category receive $700. Two specialty awards — the Douglas F. Bates Community Service Award, received by Amy Ormond of Ben Lomond High; and the Philo T. Farnsworth Governor's Award for student innovations, awarded to Wayman Stodart of Logan High — come with $400 checks. Sterling Scholar honors also open other scholarship opportunities at 18 Utah and Idaho colleges and universities, some just for being one of the 195 finalists.
Many winners are involved in sports and school activities and leadership roles, have straight-A's, impressive civic and volunteer service resumes and a list of other honors, including, for English winner Hyung Lee of Timpview High, perfect scores on both the ACT and SAT college entrance exams.
All are well versed in their honored categories. Dance Sterling Scholar Jenessa Frampton of Lone Peak High is a member of Ririe-Woodbury's high school company and teaches children her craft. Family and consumer sciences winner Allissa Huffaker of Springville High excels at what she believes is becoming a lost art — homemaking — and has garnered statewide accolades in foods and nutrition, clothing and other arts.
The winners also are well-rounded. Math winner Alice Carter of Skyline High plays piano, has performed humanitarian service in Kenya, is the Spanish Club president and runs track and cross country.
Science Sterling Scholar Charlene Felton of Hillcrest High has extensively researched selenium toxicity in brine shrimp and co-founded the school ballroom dancing club.
Computer Technology Sterling Scholar Duyun Chen of Logan High is a volunteer Web designer for Utah State University's Center of Integrated Biosystems and performs violin at its annual Chinese New Year Festival.
Social Science Sterling Scholar Chelsea Irving of Bingham High takes on service and humanitarian projects and has held several jobs, including nanny, personal assistant, secretarial work and housekeeping services. She's always worked since she's been able, mainly to save money for travel.
"Now, I'm just saving up for college — and college life," said Irving, who wants to go to Harvard and become a pediatrician.
Indeed, the winners already are walking career paths. Foreign Language Sterling Scholar Emmanouel Liodakis of Hillcrest High teaches courses on modern Greek and folk dancing and someday wants to be an ambassador.
Business and marketing winner Brent Anderson of American Fork High wants to found a nonprofit mentoring organization to guide teenagers through the process of starting and running a business.
Visual Arts winner Jan Joseph Voitehovich of West High has been doing drafting, planning and 3-D models for local architecture firms and does freelance Web and graphic design.
And some are changing career paths to follow their hearts. Speech/drama winner Jesse Pepe had long planned to be an engineer. Now, he's set on studying theater, he hopes, at UCLA.
"It's my dream to go to a school like that and perform," said Pepe, a Brighton High senior. "I couldn't live if I didn't give it a shot."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com
Recent comments
Awesome job Lindsey, with not only the Music, but General sterling...
Good Job | March 30, 2008 at 3:56 p.m.
Congratulations Lindsey, and the amazing round up of finalists, runner...
Diego Navarro | March 27, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.
I was privileged to win the award for Music in 1962 -- the first...
jbbevan | March 27, 2008 at 2:40 p.m.
