Four winners, seven runners-up for San Juan County students in Sterling Scholar

Four San Juan High School seniors were named Sterling Scholars at the 45th Annual Southeastern Utah Sterling Scholar competition on April 7. The event is presented by the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Deseret News and KSL, with special thanks to Emery Telcom.
A total of 22 San Juan County seniors vied for the coveted title of Sterling Scholar against 38 other high school seniors from Carbon, Emery and Grand counties.
Winners are Shayli Bake in Drama and Vocal Performance, Austin Pincock in Music, Spencer Gosney in English, and Gwen Behunin in Computer Science
Runners up from San Juan High include Markie Bowers in Family and Consumer Science, Tzosilah Etsitty in Dance, Magenta Crane in Business and Marketing,
Runners up from Monticello High include Aaron Gillette in Science, Alexis Bailey in Music, Marah Long in English, and Ayla Carling in Visual Arts
Also participating are Coral Delorenzis, Cambree Chamberlain, and Kyleigh Adair from Monticello, Maggie Decker, Elise Dalley, Harley Anderson, Macee Palmer, Emily Pugh, and Latanya Nunez from San Juan, And Sloane Sheppard and Leneeca Chico from Monument Valley.
The Southeastern Utah Sterling Scholars is presented in cooperation with district officials and high school administrators as well as colleges and universities who support the program through the offer of scholarships and other financial assistance.
The event was judged by members of faculties from the USU - Eastern Price and USU - Blanding Campus and other institutions and professionals throughout the state
The program recognizes high school seniors for scholastic excellence in 14 categories, including English, Forensics and Speech, Mathematics, Social Science, Science, General Scholarship, Visual Arts, Computer Technology, Skilled and Technical Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business and Marketing, Music, Drama and Vocal Performance, and Dance.
Nine secondary schools, including Monument Valley, Navajo Mountain, Whitehorse, San Juan, Monticello, Grand County, Green River, Emery, and Carbon high schools, participate in the Southeastern Utah Sterling Scholar competition. Similar contests are held in other geographic areas of the state.
Nominees are judged on scholarship, leadership, citizenship, and character. Each nominee prepares an online digital personal portfolio outlining his or her scholastic and extracurricular accomplishments.
In addition to the portfolio, nominees were interviewed by three judges in their respective categories.
After judges examined the portfolios and interviewed each nominee, a winner and two runners-up were selected in each category.
Winners will receive a $2,500 scholarship while runners-up will receive $1,000. Utah colleges, universities, and technical schools also offer full or part tuition scholarships to winners and runners-up.

Gwen Behunin
Computer Science Winner
San Juan High School

Gwen Behunin is ambitious and confident. She enjoys creativity and is grateful to share it with others. She loves being involved with her friends and community and does her best to work hard every day. She hopes to change the world through creative means, and not only become the best programmer ever (without a doubt), but also a business leader. She never goes a day without a good laugh and loves being around people. If Sterling Scholar has taught her one thing, it's that having a community is the best part of any job. Gwen is the daughter of Cindy Behunin and Clint Behunin.

Shayli Bake
Drama & Vocal Performance Winner
San Juan High School

Shayli Bake loves all things drama! She has acted in 21 plays, lights and sound for seven, directed two, written two, and is drama club president. Her favorite play is Little Women the Musical, where she played Jo March. She also played roles in Typecast, Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Dark Road, and Oh, Promise Me. She has placed at state competitions in Pantomime and Classical Scenes and won Best Character Actress at region drama. She is involved in band, pep band, tennis, student council, FBLA, NHS, Hope Squad, and Youth City Council. She is constantly singing and knows the lyrics to any Disney song. She loves the opportunities she's had to sing for her school and community. Shayli is the daughter of Mark and Kari Bake.

Spencer Gosney
English
San Juan High School

Spencer Gosney is creative and funny. He is involved in Youth Coalition, NHS, Tennis, Quiz Bowl, Student Government, Youth City Council, FBLA, and Drama, as well as other activities. He founded the writers' club at his high school and maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his high school career. He also raised over $1,000 for local charities. Through his involvement in school and the community, he has learned that creativity is essential for helping others and ourselves. Spencer exercises his creativity through writing, which includes two published books: “Moonlight” and “Cats, Psychics, and Magic.” He hopes to continue growing as a writer, reader, and author. He is the son of Devon Gosney and Sarah Gosney.

Austin Pincock
Music
San Juan High School

Austin Pincock is consistent and easygoing. He has been involved with many clubs and sports in high school, such as cross country, soccer, track, quiz bowl, pep band, HOSA, FBLA, and others. He has served and led in his community by putting on monthly concerts at his local nursing home and organizing a fundraising concert. He values the relationships he has formed in high school and loves helping others, so he wants to pursue a career in counseling after high school. Austin is the son of Russell and Rebecca Pincock.