Skyline’s 2025 Sterling Scholars are some of the most talented students in the school, with a wide range of leadership positions, awards, knowledge, and great advice to give to those who hope to follow in their footsteps. The Sterling Scholar program covers a variety of subjects; an impressive fourteen categories in total. All of these Seniors have worked extremely hard in their chosen categories since the beginning of their high school careers. Now they have been rewarded with this prestigious nomination to represent Skyline in the Sterling Scholar program.
Monika Cinibis is Skyline’s Business and Marketing Sterling Scholar. When talking to Cinibis about becoming a Sterling Scholar, she said, “It’s really fun to represent Skyline on a state level with something that I’m passionate about.” She started thinking about becoming a Sterling Scholar her freshman year. After joining the Business Club she decided she wanted to pursue a career in the Business Field. Cinibis has taken a lot of classes and done a lot of extracurricular activities. She has done the work to become this year’s Sterling Scholar, but she also has a passion for Business. She believes that’s why she won the position: she’s genuinely passionate about Business. She said, “I’ve taken a lot of business classes, I’m in a CEO program at the GTI […] I’ve completely nationally or internationally liked FBLA or DECA and have placed in FBLA.”
The Computer Technology Sterling Scholar Luca Dalcanto spoke about how he wanted to represent Skyline to the best of his ability. Dalcanto has worked hard in his area, making him perfect for the spot. He started doing Computer Technology in elementary school and has done a lot of self-studying. Even though he has done a lot of hard work by himself, he has also done extracurriculars and is involved with the Technology Student Association. He is the President at Skyline and is involved at the state level. He has competed in competitions and won many of them. When Dalcanto was asked what made him unique as a Sterling Scholar and how he felt when he was picked, he said, “My involvement at the school. I’m in clubs everyday after school. I feel like I do a lot at Skyline […] I was really excited!”
Charlotte Fischio is Skyline’s 2025 Dance Sterling Scholar and feels so excited to have this opportunity; she said, “I love Skyline, and I wanted to represent Skyline, and I also have been building up a portfolio of dance expertise for a long time now, and I thought this was a way to showcase my ability.” She has wanted to be a Sterling Scholar since her freshman year; she has been keeping track of leadership and service. She has been dancing for 15 years and finds such joy in dance. She wants to pursue it as a career by going into dance therapy, helping terminally ill children. Something that makes Fischio unique is her dance experience: she choreographs duets for the Holladay Arts Showcase, as well as concerts at Skyline. Fischio said, “I think I’m a very good person to represent dance because it is something that I always want to have part of my life.”
Mindy Phan is a Senior that is talented in many different areas, but, because there can only be one exclusive Sterling Scholar for a category, Phan became this year’s English scholar. Phan’s top picks were Speech Arts and Forensics, Visual Arts, but, above all, she wanted English. “When it comes to English specifically, I’ve just always prioritized that as my favorite subject and my primary passion,” Phan said. What makes things more impressive is how Phan was still able to become the English Sterling Scholar even with drawbacks that the typical Senior doesn’t have, saying, “[English] wasn’t my first language […] I come from a bit of a different background—at least, not having as much support in my subject […] a lot of my work in English, or writing, or things like that has had to be very independent or just on my own, because it’s not like my family— who most of them, like my parents, don’t speak English fluently are able to support me through that.” Ultimately, Phan is very happy that she has the privilege of being the English Sterling Scholar for this year.
Madeline Leeflang is Skyline’s Family and Consumer Sciences Sterling Scholar. Since freshman year, Leeflang has been excited to apply for the award and is thrilled to have the opportunity. Leeflang enjoys being around kids and even started a business where she teaches young children how to swim, ensuring that they know essential swimming safety skills. When asked about why she believed she was chosen as Sterling Scholar, Leeflang cited her business, saying, “I would say my business is unique. I don’t think there’s many people that have that.” In addition, Leeflang has been on trips to Fiji, where she gardened and volunteered, ensuring that the locals had food to eat after extensive storms. She is also excited to teach swimming lessons in Kenya next year. Besides her outstanding extracurriculars, Leeflang also excels in her academics, being on track to earn an IB diploma.
Instrumental Music Sterling Scholar Adalyn Blodgett has been playing piano for twelve years. Additionally, she has played clarinet for the last eight years, which she plays in the Skyline Wind Ensemble. Blodgett is also a part of Jazz Band, Jazz Combo Club, and the Skyline Music Council. Outside of school, she volunteers to play organ monthly for hymns in her church and performed with the All-State Band at Abravanel Hall last year. During the application process, one of the most intimidating parts for Blodgett was the teacher interview. One of the questions they asked her was what she plans to do with music after high school. Blodgett explained, “I definitely will continue to play all the instruments in whatever setting, whether it’s with community orchestras or just in religious settings or, you know, wherever.” She expressed that she would like to continue teaching kids to play piano throughout the rest of her life. Even though music is a huge part of her life, Blodgett has many other interests. For Sterling Scholar, she applied for Visual Arts as well as Instrumental Music. “I love to participate in sports, I love art [and] music, I also really love math and science, and so I feel like I’m really well rounded,” she said, emphasizing that she believes being accomplished in all these areas makes her stand out as a Sterling Scholar.
Mathematics Sterling Scholar Micah Tien never planned on trying to become a Sterling Scholar. In fact, Tien only ended up applying for the title when he was—as he puts it—“peer pressured into doing it.” But, when he finally did, Tien received the Sterling Scholar title. Tien decided to apply for Math as well as Social Studies. “I’m definitely a math kid, I’m in Math Club, I’ve been in Math Club, I do a lot of math competitions, but also I really love history,” Tien said. Tien’s humble nature and great talent ended up putting him in the interview pool, and, for Tien, that was when things got real. He said, “Once I got the privilege of being in the interview pool I started hyperventilating a little bit for a couple of days before then, just thinking about it.” Even though Tien was very nervous, he still was able to have a successful interview, and, as it happens, come up with a good tip for anyone who encounters an interview in their future. He details how it’s important to be well-focused in an interview. It is okay to have other things you want to bring up and talk about, but make sure your primary focus is on the topic at hand. “You can have other stuff [to talk about], but you’re still focused on what the subject is that you have,” Tien said.
Another one of Skyline’s talented Eagles is Science Sterling Scholar Kaitlyn Cao. Cao was initially drawn to Sterling Scholar because of how it recognized her achievements and the effort she put into science. The thought of applying for Sterling Scholar was on Cao’s mind since before ninth grade. “I set my mind on science pretty early, so a lot of my extracurriculars pointed me towards science,” Cao said. Beyond science, Cao is also involved with Cultural Chinese Dance, sometimes spending roughly “27 hours a week” on dance, which is the other category she applied for. Cao stands out because she prioritizes being interdisciplinary, saying, “I combine things I’m passionate about and I extend my experiences and both science only, dance only, and a mix of both.” Cao has done many things, from interviewing prominent dance figures to conducting studies at the University of North Dakota, showing just how talented and versatile Cao really is.
Jenna Tran, the Skilled and Technical Science Sterling Scholar, specializes in graphic design. Through this, she is able to combine her interest in “technology and development engineering with the arts.” Tran enrolled in graphics Freshman year and has since scored highly in several related competitions, including the 2022 and 2023 state National History Day contests and the 2022 FBLA State Leadership Contest. She is the Utah DECA Technology Vice President, Skyline’s Tech Club Vice President, and an IB ambassador. She frequently volunteers with the STEM Action Center and is the Operations Director for the non-profit The Subortus Project. The non-profit teaches kids about different tech-related careers. “I think equal opportunity education means that you are able to see all possible futures for yourself,” she explained. To her, this means spreading some practical but optimistic options for the future to students who might otherwise choose a career because of a pessimistic perspective. In her life, this optimistic yet practical outlook has brought her to engineering, specifically in research and development. Part of the reason Tran wants to be an engineer is because of the value she puts on community and communication. She said, “I just want to make things that help break down this invisible barrier that kind of divides us all.”
Anhkhoa Le is proud to have been selected for the Social Sciences category, likely due to his strong passion for government and social justice. He has been in FBLA and DECA since his Freshman year and has found so much drive within business, social projects, and the governmental process. The main thing that stood out to Le about social sciences in the first place was the policy and democratic aspect. “High school students can’t vote at all. We have very limited options towards civic engagement, and that kind of stood out to me in my time as a high school student. I felt like ‘hey, my opinion matters; why isn’t it reflected in our government?’” he explained. Le believes that the key reasoning of his selection for Sterling Scholar was being the president of an advisory committee for the Utah attorney general. He said, “I think that’s what especially stood out to them, because I’ve been involved in different aspects of the legislative process.” A huge part of his passion is rooted from being in the room where it happens. Le also interned directly for the attorney general over the summer and gained so much from that experience as well. He said, “I feel like youth voices are definitely underrepresented and that was the key thing I focused on in my application.” He spoke a little on what he thinks makes him unique as a Sterling Scholar, saying, “I hate empty spaces in my life. If there’s a gap, or an issue, I feel an obligation to fill it up with something that is meaningful and has an impact. I want to help people. I want to fill that empty space.”
Maylan Jessop, the Speech/Theater Arts/Forensics Scholar, is the overall captain of Skyline’s debate team. As a four-year member of debate and a participant in Mock Trial Club, she is more than qualified to be the nominee for this category. Among her many achievements, Jessop has gone to the annual National Speech & Debate Tournament (NSDA), where she placed among the top 32 debaters in her event. She’s also gone to national competitions for Business Club and writes theater reviews for Hale Center in her spare time. One thing Jessop loves about Skyline is the great community of outstanding students that go here. This community helped influence her to apply for Skyline’s Sterling Scholar nomination, providing her with positive peer pressure throughout her high school career. When asked why she applied for her specific category, Jessop said, “I just felt really connected to the topic that it was; I’m really passionate about debate, I’m really passionate about speaking. But I also really like the theater arts, so I think I kind of had a good balance that made me a good fit.”
Geneveive Romney qualified for the Visual Arts category, bringing in a deep appreciation for art and what it can do in the community. She has worked with various organizations to participate in community service projects, specifically The Millcreek Youth Council. Romney believes a key aspect of her being selected in the category was her love and admiration for art since childhood. She said, “I’ve loved art since I was young, it has always been something I was interested in, but I started taking it seriously when I came to high school.” She also applied to the science category, but really found that art was her first choice. Romney believes what makes her a unique Sterling Scholar is the fact that she has so many various interests and is well-rounded in different areas. She also achieved a huge honor called the Mayor’s Award of Excellence and is on track to receive the Service Scholar award.
Eve Sanders, Skyline’s Vocal Performance Sterling Scholar, has been a part of Skyline’s choir for all four years of high school. When asked why she decided to apply for Sterling Scholar, Sanders said, “I decided to apply because I thought it was a good opportunity and to try to get myself out there a little bit more in a category that I feel I’ve achieved things in.” She certainly has achieved things in this category; she’s been a part of Skyline’s Concert Choir and gone to both regional and statewide competitions, where Skyline High School has been awarded the “All Superior” rating. She’s also been a leader in Skyline’s performance community, acting as the president of the Madrigals. Overall, Sanders adores singing as a way to meet new people, step into leadership positions, and grow through her performances. She said, “I have been in choir for four years, and I have loved it, and I just love singing so much. I think it’s just a beautiful outlet to express yourself.”
World Languages Scholar Kennedy Nelson had been learning French since first grade. Earning a five on her French AP test Freshman year, Nelson has been taking concurrent enrollment French the last three years. She is also the co-president of French Club and interned at a French-speaking preschool last summer. During the application process, Nelson answered interviews both in English and French. While she acknowledges World Languages Scholars sometimes know more than two languages, she explained, “I think just focusing on one language kind of makes me stand out, but I have been able to really kind of put my language into a real life experience.” Nelson also applied to be the Dance Sterling Scholar, as she is the Dance Company Secretary, has been dancing since she was four, and had the opportunity to dance in Austria. “I feel dance and French almost kind of go together for me, because a lot of the ballet terminology is in French,” she said, emphasizing how both areas are very important to her. In the future, Nelson hopes to get a minor in French, potentially study abroad in a French-speaking country, and serve as a guide or translator for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
