As some 35,000 Utah high school students prepare for commencement exercises statewide, the Deseret Morning News tips its hat to some of its stars.

While each member of the Class of 2007 can celebrate his or her own accomplishments, some grads stand out from the crowd. To name just a few:

• Thirty-eight students at the Academy of Math Engineering and Science charter school have racked up $1.9 million in scholarships. That's an average $50,000 apiece.

• One Timpview High student alone has won $300,000 in scholarships.

• Skyline senior Kevin C. Ni is a Presidential Scholar, a National Merit Scholar, the 2007 General Sterling Scholar and cross country Academic All-State.

• And five Utah students received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a full-ride award to any college or university in the country for up to 10 years of study — a scholarship jackpot funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Waterford School senior Kota Ikeda won $10,000 and a Portfolio Gold Award for his photography in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program. He is one of 12 to receive that honor, and only two to get it for photography. He'll be honored at Carnegie Hall next month.

Certainly, the list of achievement goes on. Here, we celebrate the achievements of a few standouts in the Class of 2007.

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