The Sterling Scholar Awards are open to Utah public high school students in line to graduate in the current school year from a Utah public high school. It is expected that each school will nominate one candidate in any of the 14 categories. Each school may nominate only one nominee in each of the 14 categories and a nominee may be nominated in only one category. The selection and nomination process of a potential Sterling Scholar is left entirely up to each high school. Sterling Scholar officials consider a nominee a high school student if he/she will be graduating during the year 2023. A student can only be a Sterling Scholar applicant for one participating Sterling Scholar High School. 

High school students who attend college classes full or part-time or are classified as foreign exchange nominees are eligible for the Sterling Scholar Awards. However, the program is designed to recognize scholastic achievement in Utah public high schools. To be selected as a Sterling Scholar nominee, students must have extraordinary scholarship scores as well as service in leadership and community service/citizenship opportunities at their Utah public high school. It is up to each school to determine if an individual has been in attendance enough to experience these leadership and community service/citizenship opportunities. Each Sterling Scholar nominee’s entire school experience will be considered, although emphasis will be placed on the high school years. High school officials are urged to nominate scholars for categories in which the nominees are genuinely interested and qualified. 

Ultimately, selecting nominees is the responsibility of the school principal and not the Deseret News or KSL Broadcast Group. No specific method of selection is required, although the process outlined below provides an excellent opportunity to encourage scholarship. Accordingly, the opportunity to apply to the Sterling Scholar program should be open to as many nominees as possible. The following procedure is encouraged to determine each school’s Sterling Scholar: 

1. Principal selects and assigns a committee of school faculty, including a Sterling Scholar coordinator, to administer the nomination process of public high school students, graduating in the 2022-2023 school year, for Sterling Scholar Awards participation. 

2. The committee should create a questionnaire that is distributed to nominees as a guide for evaluating activities, achievements and ambitions within an area of high school education that is characterized by one of the Sterling Scholar categories. 

3. The completed questionnaire and supporting materials should be submitted to the principal and/or assigned committee for review. Departmental advisors should be contacted for aid in nominee recommendations based on the submitted questionnaire and additional information. 

4. Ultimately, the principal will determine which individual in each category will be submitted as the school’s official nominee. 

If chosen by the school, these are the expectations that future judges will be looking for. Because of this, a student's ability and willingness to excel in each of these categories will be considered.

 Each nominee will be required to complete an electronic portfolio containing a Release Form, a photo, category-based showpiece items and other required information. (Please see “Guidelines for Preparing Portfolios”). Judging will be based on portfolios, exhibits and personal interviews that demonstrate excellence in the following areas: 

SCHOLARSHIP- 20 Points (20%) A nominee’s overall GPA, difficulty of class schedule, standardized test scores such as ACT and SAT, class ranking and similar scholarship items attained during high school will be used to establish points for Scholarship. 

CATEGORY EXPERTISE - 20 Points (20%) Emphasis is placed on the nominee’s ability and talent in their specific category. While judges seek evidence of growth and service in all activities, the nominee’s talent and aptitude within their category will receive particular emphasis. 

LEADERSHIP- 20 Points (20%) The qualities of leadership in Utah public high schools can be measured in part by the responsibilities placed on a nominee by his/her teachers and fellow nominees. However, evidence of positive influence with fellow nominees also shall be considered an indication of leadership. 

COMMUNITY SERVICE/CITIZENSHIP- 20 Points (20%) Each Sterling Scholar nominee should exhibit a record of high standards of citizenship throughout his/her high school years. Service to school, community or other organizations will be considered. The nominee’s attitude toward the acceptance of responsibility in contribution roles, as well as seeking out service opportunities, will be especially important. Evidence of a long-term commitment to service will also receive particular attention. 

INTERVIEW- 20 Points (20%) Semi-finalist and Finalist Judging. During the interview, judges will evaluate the nominee’s ability to answer questions pertaining to their category. Body language, technical knowledge, communication skills, professional appearance and plans for continued education in the category will all be included in the interview point assessment.