If you could do anything in life, what would you do? Where would you go? What would you learn? In the specialized case of Elliot Goble, the Sterling Scholar in Social Sciences, the answer always leads back to himself, specifically in Utah.

The environment within and outside of Goble creates a space in which ideas thrive and transform. Through taking every available humanities course offered at Highland and being active in his community, he has not only earned this award, but also the inner understanding of what it means to be his own person.

If you could do anything with your life, what would you do? Be a senator, or a convenience store clerk? One seems to be the obvious choice, right? A senator; you get good money and are influential and can be involved with the government. But if you’re Goble, the choices are equal, as is the case with many of his views. He sees the world as full of opportunities, but these opportunities are not available to all parties. He focuses on the injustices in the world, and although he recognizes not all of them can be solved, he still looks for solutions.

“Being politically active locally is so important,” Goble said. Being the head of the Young Democrats Club and joining the debate team in past years, Goble remains informed in world and local happenings and encourages others to do the same. His passion for human behavior and finding truth is what makes his life goals so interesting.

Goble is going to focus on political science in his college education, and will one day hopefully become either a senator or a store clerk. The way that those from every walk of life have to at some point go to a store opens up opportunities that fit into Goble’s philosophy. The level of expressive opinions that Goble possesses may not fit into that of a senator lifestyle and work demand, yet it meets his intellectual gifts. Either way, Goble seeks fulfillment in his own way and on his own terms. The way he views life is connected to every aspect of his surroundings.

Where would you go? England, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Argentina? One of the most uniquely diverse places to go and experience is in fact one that’s in the air Highland students breathe: Utah. Goble finds Utah riveting in how it’s a place where minorities nationally are in the majority, specifically Mormons. The way every citizen is tied to the Utah land is particularly interesting to Goble, whose family is connected to the Kennicott Copper Mine. In particular, Highland has been a “fertile ground” for Goble’s interest in Social Sciences. With 41% of its student body belonging to a minority group and countless religions represented, there are endless opportunities to meet someone new and experience a new culture.

What would you learn? The most vital thing in Goble’s life is learning, not necessarily academics, but about being human. While being academically adept, Goble values being able to understand social structure more than he does school. The main reason why Goble is so drawn to social studies and humanities is because “it can’t be analyzed”. Every individual who experiences a situation or a concept will have a different idea to its true meaning, and Goble takes advantage of his ability to step back from all the swirling information and be able to make a conclusion. He is perpetually learning and trying to understand not just the truth but his own ideals.

Goble appreciates the Sterling Scholar he has received, and is quite informed on the fact of his intelligence, but he doesn’t value his intellect or the award because it makes him a better person. He values it because it brings him a new platform for change. With words and information to express himself, Goble is capable of sharing his truths and is able to educate on important matters.

With academic capabilities, he’s able to go learn more and be able to succeed and make himself even better, to perpetually metamorphosize into a someone worth knowing. He strives for excellence, but does not require much else than existing, and Social Sciences help him towards that ideal. As Goble said, “To be is to study Social Sciences,” and if that is true, Goble most certainly exists in his own plane of space.