In keeping with 16 years of tradition, outstanding high school students were honored in the Southwest Utah Sterling Scholar Awards on April 7.
Winners and runners-up in 13 categories were honored for their excellence in leadership, citizenship and scholastic endeavors at the awards ceremony held at Dixie College.Kelly Kendall, director of school relations at Dixie College, welcomed students, parents and other supporters to the function. Master of ceremonies was Max Rose, academic vice president of Dixie College.
Musical selections consisted of a vocal solo by Sally Coopper of Panguitch High School, the Lyrical Choir of Cedar High School, the musical group Xpress of Kanab High School, a clarinet solo by Raylinda Wilcock of Hurricane High School, a violin solo by Peggy Stewart of Pine View High School and a musical number by performers of Beaver High School.
The Southwest program is one of five regional Sterling Scholar Awards programs that cover the state of Utah. These regional programs are patterend after the Deseret News-KSL Television program along the Wasatch Front, started in 1962 to recognize accomplishments of high school students.
Participants in the Southwest Utah Sterling Scholar Awards came from Beaver, Cedar, Dixie, Enterprise, Hurricane, Kanab, Milford, Panguitch, Escalante, Bryce Valley, Parowan and Pine View Valley high schools.
Judging of the Sterling Scholar finalists took place earlier on April 7th at the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center at Dixie College.
The winners and runners-up are awarded scholarships offered by 17 institutions of higher learning.
The following are winners and runners-up named at the ceremony:
English: Winner, Robert Huntsman of Pine View High School. Runners-up, Rory Hal Smith of Beaver High School and Maria Zaleski of Parowan High School.
Performing arts/speech/drama: Winner, Anna Marie Smith of Dixie High School. Runners-up, Angela Nicole Hopkins of Parowan High School and Danny Wilcox of Enterprise High School.
Mathematics: Winner, Jennifer L. Thomas of Pine View High School. Runners-up, Peter N. Howe of Cedar High School and Daphne Staheli of Beaver High School.
Social science: Winner, Jeremy K. Call of Pine View High School. Runners-up, Sheree Molyneux of Cedar High School and David Roland Mortensen of Parowan High School.
Science: Winner, Jarom C. Heaton of Cedar High School. Runners-up, Bartt J. Stucki of Beaver High School and Alex Blazzard of Pine View High School.
Visual arts: Winner, Kyle David Vincent of Parowan High School. Runners-up, Ryan N. Curtis of Cedar High School and Scott Thomas Hughes of Hurricane High School.
Foreign language: Winner, Cade M. Nylund of Pine View High School. Runners-up, Erika Ashman of Dixie High School and Hannah M. Sanderson of Cedar High School.
Home economics: Winner, Larisa Decker of Panguitch High School. Runners-up, Cindy Roundy of Valley High School and Megan Maurine Wilcken of Parowan High School.
Dance: Winner, Amy Lorraine Hodges of Dixie High School. Runners-up, Melissa McDonald of Pine View High School and Summerlyn Tanner of Kanab High School.
Industrial education: Winner, Jared Michael Kropf, Kanab High School. Runners-up, Jacob Dante Leffler of Cedar High School and Joelen Lyman of Escalante High School.
Business education: Winner, DeAnna Glover of Valley High School. Runners-up, Danielle Button of Kanab High School and Hillary Smith of Parowan High School.
Music: Winner, Peggy Steward of Pine View High School. Runners-up, Jacqui Lamoreaux of Cedar High School and Jess Robinson of Kanab High School.
General scholarship: Winner, Jerilyn Mayer of Milford High School. Runners-up, Kristen Kamerath of Pine View High School and Kade Roundy of Cedar High School.