Each year, a number of seniors are methodically processed and chosen for the title of Sterling Scholar within a variety of categories. This year, during the second quarter, the class of 2026 Sterling Scholars for Herriman High School were chosen and subsequently revealed. The Sterling Scholar program is employed by many Utah high schools and has been used to shine light on student excellence and prowess since the 1960s. Students are given the opportunity to apply to 14 different categories to be awarded in; the application is sent with a portfolio of related works and achievements, and it is followed by an interview with the judges. Those who receive the award are granted a scholarship to whatever Utah-based university they choose to go to.
If qualifications are met, applying to be a Sterling Scholar is a huge opportunity that would be extremely beneficial to take. For any upcoming seniors, there’s a myriad of subjects that—if one shows talent in—can grant the award. The class of 2026 Sterling Scholars and their respective categories are as follows. General subjects include: Wyllie Brown in English, Abby Elmer in Math, Jack Simpson in Social Sciences, and Savanna Perry in Science. For those interested in more involved studies, the Scholars are as such: Ava Atkinson in Business and Marketing, Samuel Perillo in Computer Technology, MacKenna York in Family and Consumer Sciences, Ava Devaney in Skilled and Technical Sciences, and Logan Hamilton in World Languages. The other subjects belong to the family of arts and performance: the winners are Ava Ash in Dance, Lucy Ashton Knochel in Instrumental Music, Kyla Frogley in Speech/Theater/Forensics, Sadie Henderson in Visual Arts, and Ashley Barnum in Vocal Performance. Congratulations are due to Herriman High’s extraordinary Scholars this year, and best wishes are in order for those interested in seeing their name on that list in the near future. Herriman High is stockpiled full of exceptional students who’ve truly got a great shot at it.
For those interested in becoming a Sterling Scholar in the future, Samuel Perillo has some advice. “It doesn’t matter if you are not a straight A student or didn’t get the best score in the ACT,” Perillo clarifies. “What matters is that you want to innovate the category for the future.” For students who excel in a subject and wish to push that forward in their life, applying to be a Sterling Scholar can be a large step in the right direction. For any self-doubt or worries one may feel about the idea, Perillo has tips for that as well. “My biggest worry when I applied is how I was going to put into words what I want to achieve,” he recalls. Perillo would overcome this worry by practicing interviews both with himself and with his peers. “No matter how good you are at everything else, interviewing skills matter a lot,” he urges. Sterling Scholar is a great opportunity that does not come by in one’s life often, so anyone interested is urged to at the very least try to push themselves for that point.
