There's no telling where storytelling skills will take fifth-grader from Highland

HIGHLAND — Once upon a time, there was a boy who liked to tell stories.

At first, he told them to his classmates at school. Then he got invited to storytelling festivals. And then, one day, he got invited to the biggest storytelling festival of all, where everyone was so impressed that he was named a "torchbearer" because of his storytelling and ambassador skills.

That might sound like a fairy tale, but it is the true story of Alex Bowcut's life — or at least his life so far. Because Alex is only 11. The son of John and Torri Bowcut, he's a fifth-grader at Highland Elementary School. So, he expects that quite a few more stories will be added to his biographical repertoire.

But the stories he has so far are pretty impressive. If one of them might be called, "Alex, the Boy Who Tells Stories," another one might be titled, "Alex, the Boy Who Cares." Because even at this young age, Alex has learned that talent can be used for more than pleasure. It can also be used to make a difference.

Alex's first story began when he was in kindergarten, when his class learned about storytelling.

"I started it just for fun," he says. "But I really liked it."

When he was in second grade, his class held a storytelling contest; the winner got to participate in the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival held in Orem each year. Alex won. He won in third grade and again in fourth grade.

In addition to that festival, Alex has also told stories at the Indian Summer Festival held in Vernal, at Thanksgiving Point — at both the scary tales and fairy tales fests — and for numerous school, church, Scout and family functions.

In February 2005, he was invited — on the basis of tapes he submitted — to participate in the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame, held in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. There, he took top honors for his age division, receiving the "torchbearer" prize.

Last month, he was invited to participate in the national event again. This time he didn't take the top prize but still came home a winner, he says, because he's been able to meet so many nice people and made such good friends, both among those his own age and adults who have taken him under their wing.

In just the way many kids his age can name their favorite sports or music celebrities, Alex can name the top storytellers in the nation: Tim Tingle, Elizabeth Rose, Donald Davis, Waddie Mitchell.

"He's really been fortunate to have some of them become his mentors," says his mother, Torri.

It was at these festivals that Alex got the idea for a way to use his talent to help others. He noticed that many of the storytellers sold CDs with some of their stories. "People would ask me if I had one. I thought, 'I'm kind of young for that.' "