Six Grand County High School seniors will vie for top honors and scholarship opportunities at the annual Sterling Scholars regional competition this week. The event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 10, at the Utah State University Eastern campus and at Carbon High School in Price.
Austin Aubry
Austin Aubry, the son of Ann Marie Aubry, is Grand County’s Sterling Scholar nominee in the Music category.
During his high school career, he has attended the Curry Summer Music Camp, as well as the New York Jazz Symposium. He is a member of the school’s jazz, concert and marching bands, and has been the percussion section leader for the second half of his high school career. Starting at the age of 6, Aubry has also volunteered as a disc jockey at KZMU radio station, hosting a show twice a month with his own two-hour segment.
Aubry is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Quiz Bowl team and the Science Olympiad team. As the Club Council Representative, he is also a contributing member of student government. He plans to attend the University of Utah this fall to continue his music studies in the honors program.
Cody Jones
Cody Jones, the son of Justin and Jill Jones, is the Science Sterling Scholar nominee for Grand County High School.
He has been very active within the world of science over the course of his high school years. Competing at the Utah State Science Olympiad, he has received medals in a variety of events, including Cellular Biology, Entomology and Rocket Design. He has worked at the Moab Veterinary Clinic for a total of six months, taking care of sick animals and helping with animal boarding.
For the past three years, Jones has volunteered as a merit badge instructor at the Blue Mountain Summer Camp for the Boy Scouts of America. In October 2014, he entered the Youth Garden Project’s Pumpkin Chuckin’ competition with a team of students from his physics class, making their own full-size trebuchet.
Jones has worked as a farm hand on his family’s small ranch for four years. He is the Quiz Bowl team’s resident science specialist. Jones is very active in the community, working to provide service and to hone his leadership in church, Scouting and local service organizations such as the National Honor Society and the HOPE club.
He also participates in a variety of sports and extracurricular activities, including drama, tennis, cross-country, and mountain biking. He currently has the top grade-point average in his class. After serving a two-year LDS church mission, Jones plans to continue his education at Utah State University, pursuing a career in biomedical engineering.
Emilia Cubelos
Emilia Cubelos, the daughter of Cathy and Juan Cubelos, is Grand County High School’s Sterling Scholar English nominee.
Cubelos has been passionate about English and literature for most of her life. During high school, she has excelled in her English and writing classes. She has been a contributor to the school-sponsored newspaper The Devil’s Advocate since her freshman year, and served as editor-in-chief her junior and senior years.
She also served as president of both the Creative Writing Club and Earth Club. She has been on the GCHS debate team since her freshman year, and was team captain her junior and senior years. Cubelos has also worked to serve her community through the National Honor Society and volunteers regularly for the Moab Valley Multicultural Center as a mentor.
During the summer before her senior year, she spent eight weeks taking humanities courses at Stanford University. Currently, she works as a student intern for the Canyonlands Natural History Association. After graduation, she plans to attend a four-year university to further her studies in English.
River Murdock
River Murdock, the Computer Science Sterling Scholar nominee for Grand County High School, is the son of Brian and Alina Murdock.
He is the first student from GCHS to compete in this category, which was added last year. Murdock has participated in the Science Olympiad for four years and has placed at the regional and state level. He is also a member of the Quiz Bowl team and the National Honor Society. Murdock was on the tennis and swim teams for four years, and has been on the GCHS mountain bike team for three years.
He is also a member of the school’s art club and has participated in the Skills USA 3D graphics competition. Murdock has enjoyed volunteering with the Forest Service building and maintaining trails, and helping with community events like the bike rodeo and the Moab Half Marathon. Murdock plans to pursue a degree at the University of Utah.
Kylie Haycock
Kylie Haycock, the daughter of Eric and Stephanie Haycock, is Grand County High School’s Sterling Scholar nominee in Family and Consumer Sciences.
She has been playing softball and volleyball for the Red Devils since she was a freshman. She served two years as a captain for volleyball.
Haycock is a member of the National Honor Society. She has worked closely with student body officers in planning school events and helping wherever she is needed. Haycock is heavily involved in Young Life, serving as president of the Moab chapter and as a student leader for the middle schoolers. She is also the president of the school’s FCCLA club, and she has been a member for three years. On Wednesdays, she spends her afternoons helping at the Amigos to Amiguitos program sponsored by the Moab Multicultural Center. Haycock has been working for the past four years at a local ice cream store, Crystal’s Cakes and Cones.
Symony Call
Symony Call, the daughter of Russell and Kimberly Call, is the Visual Arts Sterling Scholar candidate for Grand County High School.
For the past two years, Call has volunteered at the Moab Arts Festival, doing face-painting for the little kids. She also participated in the Plein Air Moab art workshops. She also volunteered last summer as an art instructor at the Blue Mountain Summer Camp, where she taught hundreds of young Boy Scouts about the elements of art and principles of design as well as different styles of art and various art careers.
Call has had works submitted to the Springville Museum’s High School Art Exhibition in both 2015 and 2016, and received the Jurors Choice award for her 2016 piece. She has designed T-shirts over multiple years for her church group’s girls camp, and also designed this year’s senior class hoodie. She is a member of the school’s art club and has taken numerous art classes provided at the school.
She also belongs to the Helping Other People Everyday (HOPE) club. Call is currently serving as the vice president of the local chapter of the National Honor Society, and has also been involved in student government.
Call has been a member of the school’s volleyball, basketball, and track teams and was a basketball team captain. She has been a leader of her church youth group for several years. She participates in service projects and volunteer work put on by both school clubs and church youth groups.
The students’ advisers are Cari Caylor and Donna Metzler; they are assisted by Dee Hannigan.
