Southern Utah University is preparing for the annual Sterling Scholar competition on April 3, 2025. Students from twenty high schools will meet on Southern Utah University campus to complete the final round of judging. The day’s events will include competitive interviews followed by an Awards Program that evening.
This statewide academic competition recognizes the achievements of Utah’s high school seniors in the following fifteen categories: Agriculture Science, Business and Marketing, Computer Technology, Dance, English, Family and Consumer Sciences, General Scholarship, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, Speech and Drama, Skilled and Technical Science Education, Visual Arts and World Languages.
Each of the finalists will be interviewed by judges and given time to explain their personal achievements and awards that have been compiled in their digital portfolios. The winners will be chosen based on their experience and skills in scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. A winner and two runners-up in each of the categories will be chosen. These deserving scholars will receive a scholarship and a Sterling Scholar pin. Finalists from each high school will also receive a Sterling Scholar certificate. The three judges in each category come from local communities, Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University.
Many colleges and universities in Utah offer scholarships to both the winners and the runners-up to help these students in achieving their goals. Some of these scholarships include cash amounts up to $2500 or full tuition waivers. The support from the higher educational institutions in the state is much appreciated and utilized by Sterling Scholar recipients.
Since its inception, the program has expanded from its origins in Salt Lake City to include 5 region-wide competitions throughout the state that continue to publicly recognize outstanding seniors and encourage academic excellence. The program began in the early 1960’s, when Steve Hale, a Deseret News columnist; Lavor Chaffin, an education reporter at the Desert News; and Keith West, the Deseret News’ director of marketing realized that while their newspaper had been recognizing outstanding athletes for years, there was no mechanism in place to recognize outstanding scholars. Together with the Utah Board of Education, they developed the Sterling Scholars program.
We applaud all those who labor to make this program a reality each year. The parents and teachers of all nominees have dedicated untold hours to ensure the success of these students. We give a heartfelt thanks to all that have donated so much time and energy into providing this opportunity for the best and brightest in Utah.
Congratulations to all the finalists and we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.
Contact Selene Corbridge for additional information
selene@sedck12.org 435-586-2865 https://www.sedck12.org/sterling-scholar
This event will be streamed live here.
Sterling Scholar 2025 Nominees
