22 San Juan County high school seniors compete in sterling scholar with four winners and seven runner-ups

22 high school seniors in San Juan County competed in the 2022 Southeastern Utah Sterling Scholar awards. Students from Monticello, Monument Valley, San Juan, and Whitehorse High Schools competed against scholars from Carbon, Emery, Grand, and Green River High School in academic categories at Monticello High on Monday, March 28.

Four San Juan County students were announced winners in their categories. Whitehorse High School student Leyonah Enischee was the winner in the Visual Arts category. Three San Juan high students were announced as winners, Ashlyn Bake in Business and Marketing, Elizabeth Pugh in Music, and Bronsen Snyder in Mathematics.

Three Monticello students earned runner-up awards: Madi Keyes in English, Lilly Long in Music, and Tate Ramsay in Science.
Two Whitehorse students earned runner-up awards: Brett James in Tech Skills, and McKeeda Sam in Family Science.
Two San Juan students earned runner-up awards: Aspen Patterson in Dance, and Kelsey Pugh in Social Science.

Photos and names of all San Juan County competitors can be found above and in the March 30 issue of the San Juan Record.

Write-ups of the winners can be read here:

Ashlyn Bake, of San Juan High School, is a business owner and a leader in her school. She has competed in business FBLA competitions at the state level and qualified for nationals. She received a 30 on the ACT and has maintained a 4.0 GPA while taking college courses. She is very involved at her school as the Student Body President and FBLA chapter President. She is also involved in theater, playing Jane in this year’s production of Tarzan. Also an athlete, she was a soccer captain for her team this year and received the Academic All-State award. Ashlyn is the daughter of Mark and Kari Bake.

Leyonah Enischee, of Whitehorse High School, loves Virtual Reality games, animation, 3D modeling, and drawing. As a leader and mentor, she is inspired by people all over the world and is a leader of her peers, as Vice President as a sophomore and again as a senior. She likes teaching people she meets about her background and values. As a Sterling Scholar, she has shared her passion for storytelling told through her experiences in art. This happens through a small graphic arts business as well as murals created inside and outside of her school. Collectors enjoyed her drawings in a variety of art shows. Leyonah is the daughter of Marinda Salt.

Elizabeth Pugh, of San Juan High School, is a musician, a leader, and a hard worker. She has participated in many musical events, including AIM, GUILD, composition competitions, honor bands, region large group, and solo and ensemble. She passed the AP Music Theory as a junior with a score of 5 out of 5 on both the aural and non-aural sections. She is a 4.0 student and a captain of her soccer team. She is involved in many school activities including HOSA, FBLA, NHS, Interact, Pep band, and Marching band. She is her church’s choir accompanist and assistant organist. Elizabeth is the daughter of Riley and Kathleen Pugh.

Bronsen Snyder, of San Juan High School, shows initiative and leadership in not only high school classes, but university academics as well. He has tutored students ranging from high school freshmen to college. With a math ACT score of 31, his proficiency and achievement go well beyond the classroom. He is a leader in school, serving in student government, and is involved as an FFA officer, HOSA, and NHS participant. He helped lead his teams to state championships in football and basketball. He loves music and ex- cels at the cello, piano, and guitar. He is highly regarded among his peers as a leader and a fantastic student. He is the son of Steve and Ginger Snyder.