The next step is the preparation of a portfolio using guidelines that have evolved over the past 47 years. Instead of a scrapbook, the portfolio is mostly a snapshot look at a student's accomplishments during his or her high school years. Limited to 20 pages, the portfolio's first seven to eight pages include a photograph, certified transcript, test scores, letter of recommendation and student entry forms.

These entry forms provide an opportunity for the students to express themselves about their accomplishments, goals and how they see themselves involved in their category in the future. The balance of the pages are used to exhibit the student's participation in the three areas of demonstrating citizenship, scholarship and community service/leadership.

The process of judging will begin with two or three judges in each category reviewing each of the 17-19 portfolios. Judges begin their reviews as early as 10:30 a.m. They assign some preliminary scores based on a 100 point total. Scholarship can receive 50 points, divided between overall scholarship and category scholarship. The remaining 50 points are divided between citizenship and community service/leadership, with 25 possible points for each.

At approximately 2:20 p.m., the students begin arriving and meet with their respective judges in a 10 minute private interview. While judges don't get any money for their efforts, they are rewarded with the satisfaction they receive from meeting with these outstanding students. The judges often comment on what an exhausting day it is but also how it is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable days they experience all year.

The job of each pair of judges is to advance five individuals to the next round. With three sub-locations for the day, this means that a total of 15 will advance in each of 13 categories, making 195 finalists in all. The list of finalists will be published on the Deseret News Web site, deseretnews.com, that evening at approximately midnight. The finalists will be listed in the Friday edition of the Deseret News.

On March 4, the 195 finalists come again to meet with a new panel of three to four judges who will determine the final Sterling Scholar winners and runners-up.

Finally, an elaborate awards program under the direction of Katie Oborn of KSL-TV will be held March 25 at 7 p.m. at Cottonwood High School. The program is free of charge and no tickets are required. There is ample seating at Cottonwood High School.

Two special awards will also be presented during the evening, the Philo T. Farnsworth Excellence in Education/Governor's Award and the Douglas F. Bates Community Service Award. A member of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s staff will present the Farnsworth/Governor's Award in recognition of outstanding scholarship in a technical field. The recipient will receive a statuette of Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of television. The Douglas F. Bates Community Service Award is named for the late Douglas F. Bates, longtime administrator for the Utah State Office of Education.

At the conclusion of this year's program, all candidates will have participated in one of the country's most prestigious awards program for high school students. Over the years, Utah's Sterling Scholars have gone on to successful pursuits throughout the state, nation and world. The 2009 winners will take their place in this honored fraternity of Deseret News-KSL 5 Television Sterling Scholars.