2008 Sterling Scholar winners

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 27, 2008

MUSIC AND GENERAL STERLING SCHOLAR

Lindsey Brinton

West High School

Parents: Gregory and Sally Brinton

Salt Lake City

"I am from a family of nine and each member plays a musical instrument. Instruments include the cello, trumpet, clarinet, harp and piano. Playing together is always fun, but the real joy comes from performing piano concerts with my mother, a Juilliard graduate in piano performance, and my sister, who is also an accomplished pianist.

"I have had the unique opportunity of traveling to five continents with my family. Many trips are devoted to my performing and competing on the piano. Not only have I been exposed to different cultures, but I have also seen the powerful influence music has on people all over the world. Playing the piano and playing basketball are two of my passions. However, it is a challenge because jammed fingers don't do well on piano keys! I have jammed several fingers playing basketball and have had to lay off my piano practicing for a short period of time. I have learned to be cautious and deal with the risk of not being able to perform in one area for a time in order to develop my talents.

"Music will always be an integral part of my life. Seeing the example set in my home, I want to continue the tradition of having classical music at the fingertips of my family. Playing the piano has become a sublimely artistic outlet for my creative thoughts. In performing any composition, I love how the performer needs to place herself between the composer and the audience. She is charged with being true to the composition yet interpretive in its rendition. I eagerly look forward to continuing my studies of performance, music theory, history and composition in greater depth at the college level."

SCHOLARSHIP: Ranks sixth out of 435; overall GPA is 3.9; 33 composite ACT.

AWARDS AND PROJECTS: National Honor Society; performed at Carnegie Hall; first prize winner of the International Bartok- Kabalevsky-Prokofiev Piano Competition; two-time first place state winner of Utah Music Teachers Association Piano Concerto Competition; performed in recital at Madi Hall in Cairo, Egypt; member of West High School Chorale and A Cappella; National Honor Roll; student body president; homecoming queen; junior class president; Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Award; Girls State; Chemistry Club vice-president; Kiwanis Youth Leadership Award; member of the Utah Symphony Youth Guild; math and reading tutor for at risk children; volunteer at The Christmas Box House; raised money for Children's Miracle Network; collected money for UNICEF; volunteer at the Utah Food Bank.

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ENGLISH

Hyung Lee

Timpview High School

Parents: Sang Chul and Yun Kyung Lee

Provo

"The first newspaper issue of my senior year was a terror. I was no longer a lowly staff writer, given everything from story ideas to word counts on a silver platter. I was editor-in-chief. However, as I looked over the new staff on the first day of class, my fear of failure squelched the grandiose title like a bug.

"As a staff writer during my junior year, I had the help of numerous editors who held my hand along the way toward journalistic success. I was a child, crawling toward the deadline while picking up knowledge of slugs, beats, and leads along the way.

"But the editors left for college and I was left with only a fool's knowledge of how to print a full issue. I barely understood the workings of InDesign, and I felt overwhelmed at times by dozens of staff writers asking me simultaneously about their word counts and leads. Everything I had previous ignored -- pictures, headlines, captions, layouts, etc. -- flooded me as the first deadline loomed ever so near.

"However, as my hours in the journalism lab grew longer, my self- doubt began to fade away. The paper was now mine to shape into a fantastic publication or a ridiculous mess. My first issue had many successes and failures. I now realize that I would never have come so far as a designer of an entire issue without taking risks. Many of those risks have resulted in nondescript pictures and nonsensical headlines. But some have resulted in fresh front-page designs and cutouts worthy of the New York Times. It still pains me to hear other students criticize the paper but knowing that I am fully responsible for a 16-page monthly publication is no longer a burden."

SCHOLARSHIP: Ranks first out of 422; overall GPA is 4.0; 36 composite ACT.

AWARDS AND PROJECTS: AP Scholar of Distinction Award; perfect scores on the SAT subject tests; one of 595 students nationwide recognized with the Achievement Award in Writing by the National Council of Teachers of English; first place in 2006 for the Hugh O'Brien and Utah Kiwanis Club essay contests; academic letters in science, social studies, music, English and mathematics; 2007-08 All State Orchestra; Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra; Eagle rank; volunteers in the circulation department of the public library in Provo; Provo City Youth Government; participated in the Joseph Smith bicentennial; member of the Timpview High School Orchestra.