Weber State University sophomore Laura Sheffield got to hang out Friday with the governor and rub elbows with some of the "best and brightest" minds in Utah.

Sheffield's experience at a luncheon hosted by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. beat simply being listed on a "piece of paper" known as the high school honor roll.

"You're not really praised," Sheffield recalled.

Even worse, the smarter people in high school, she added, were either looked down upon by their peers or lost in the shadows of how well a school's football team performed.

But praise flowed at the governor's mansion for Sheffield and 43 other college students who were honored as the first-ever group of students to receive the Governor's Scholars awards.

"The world will soon be yours and you'll have to step up," Huntsman told students. "Thank you for being who you are."

Awards were handed out to four students each from Brigham Young University, Westminster College and Utah's nine traditional public colleges and universities.

BYU senior and neuroscience major Edward Stevenson sat at a table with BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson.

"It was kind of a surprise," Stevenson said of being chosen for the award.

While Sheffield hopes to become an accountant for the Disney Corp., Stevenson is looking into possible causes and cures for autism — his brother is autistic.

If Stevenson stood out at the ceremony with his bow tie, the University of Utah's Davey Davis made an impression with his plaid patchwork sport coat that he dug out of his grandfather's closet in San Francisco.

"Admittedly, it's the most formal attire I own," said Davis, who plans to major in history and Middle Eastern studies.

Davis chose the U. because of its relatively low cost. Without being asked, he quickly lamented about how the "best" minds — who can afford it — either leave the state or attend BYU.

Utah Commissioner of Higher Education Richard Kendell said he hopes an award from the governor will bring encouragement to the recipients, who he said could be a pool of candidates to become a Rhodes Scholar or to receive other prestigious scholarships.

And after they graduate?

"We would love for these students to stay in this state," said Kendell.

Besides staying in Utah, Jackson Newell, U. emeritus professor and one of Friday's featured speakers, wants students to develop an "ethical rudder."

Too often Newell has observed intelligent people who rise to positions of power, only to violate the trust of others.

"The quality of their education is in their hands," Newell said of the honorees. "The question is, how well can they capitalize on what their institutions offer?"

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com