Standard 2.3 Learning Culture of Success

The purpose of the Payson High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame is to honor PHS alumni who have gone on to achieve great accomplishments after graduating. Induction into the ranks of Payson High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame is a great honor. It represents our highest values of excellence, leadership, service, and character. Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame members are to be exemplars. Our hope is that publicly honoring these individuals will inspire the current generation of students to pursue lives of the highest caliber and not set limits on what they can accomplish. The Hall of Fame is displayed in the hallway near the front office and is available online. Click the link here or the image to see the online version.

Each year, we re-decorate the hallway that connects our fine arts and P.E. facilities with student banners. Teachers nominate senior-to-be students who excel in a praiseworthy area. The administration and counseling department then selects 20-22 students to be featured on these banners. The featured students choose a positive character trait that they work hard to display and are photographed, sometimes displaying objects that represent their areas of interest. Our photography students run the photoshoot. This is one other way in which PHS intentionally crafts the school culture to be one that values excellence and celebrates excellence. The image carousel on this page shows photographs of these student banners.

PHS participates in the state-wide Sterling Scholar program. A Sterling Scholar is a high school senior who is publicly recognized and awarded for the pursuit of excellence in scholarship, leadership, and citizenship in the State of Utah. A potential Sterling Scholar presents an all-encompassing portfolio on their work in a specific category and is interviewed by judges in the category’s field. Sterling Scholars are first awarded at the local high school level. At PHS, the faculty members of each department interview the applicants, review their portfolios, and select the most outstanding student to represent the school at the levels of state semi-finals and finals. In addition to public recognition, sterling scholars also have the potential to receive cash scholarships and tuition waivers from participating institutions.

The Academic All-State program, through the Utah High School Activities Association, is similar. For over 25 years the UHSAA has presented the Academic All-State Award to recognize students who have excelled in the classroom as well as in athletic competition. Individuals are selected for this award on the basis of their athletic ability and academic proficiency. With over 85,000 students participating in high school activities, this award is the most prestigious honor the UHSAA presents to senior students. PHS has a history of having many of our student-athletes selected for this honor based on their high academic achievement.

In the school, we publically recognize both of these groups of students in various ways, including a display near the front office.