Sterling Scholars is a state wide competition run by Deseret News. It puts Utah’s best, brightest and most well rounded students against each other.

Highland’s Sterling Scholar applications have been going on for the past couple of weeks, and thirteen of the applicants have been recently announced in the respective categories to be on Highland’s team.

“It’s like a sports competition,” Rebecca Blommer, Highland’s liaison for the Sterling Scholar program said. “We are all a team now, because we are all competing in our different categories, but we all have to work on building our portfolio together and perfecting our interview skills.”

The team will now have to prepare for the semifinals and hopefully finals. In these competitions each student is judged in multiple categories, including leadership and community service. In addition there is also a ten minute interview that each student must go through.

“The foreign language sterling scholar does the first half of their interview in the foreign language they won with. Dance, instrumental, vocal and theater Sterling Scholars have to perform in addition to to the interview.” Blommer said. “That seems like it would just be nerve racking, but they handle it with grace.”

Highland, on average, has around eighty students apply each year, many applying in multiple categories. Some of these categories end up being more popular than others.

“The two categories where we struggle to even get applicants are computer tech and business and marketing,” Blommer said. “This year we do not have a computer tech Sterling Scholar to represent us because no one applied. I know we have brilliant students in that content area but I just don’t think they know about it. I’ve been the liaison for the past three years and so far I have seen one applicant.”

The categories that do have contestants, however, have great people representing Highland.

“Every year I really do feel hope for the future, because they are so brilliant.” Blommer said, “Every year I see all these applications and they just make a well rounded citizen. It’s really great.