He started as a reader, whose world was defined by the books he checked out from his elementary school library. Now, he is a writer, holding the title of Weber High’s English Sterling Scholar. For senior Solomon Stewart, that path from being a young kid hooked on reading to a high school winner is proof a passion for writing really does pay off.
Stewart, a dedicated writer and the school’s English Sterling Scholar, has big plans: he’s heading to USU after his mission. He wants to be an author, but he’s also looking seriously at becoming an English teacher, a job he got inspired to pursue by his own teacher. Solomon’s success comes from his love for books and writing.
The story of how Solomon got into writing is simple. He had lots of books around in elementary and read lots of different types of stories starting at a young age, which started his love of writing.
“When I finally had a larger school library in elementary school, I had a wider variety of books to read, and that is what initially sparked my interest in writing,” Stewart said.
That early passion became stronger in ninth grade when he met the person who would become his biggest role model, and who showed him exactly the kind of person he wants to be later in life.
“My biggest role model is my ninth grade English teacher, Mrs. Inglefield,” Stewart said. “Being an English teacher would allow me to be the inspiration that she was to me.”
Solomon isn’t just someone who talks about writing, he’s actually working on it. He is focused on his first novel right now and when he looks back at his old stuff, he said he can see how much he’s improved.
“I am currently working on a book,” Stewart said. “When I look back at the things I wrote in junior high school, I can just see how different my writing was compared to now. There are some chapters in the book I am writing now that I am more proud of than others but I think that is just something that comes along with writing.”
Getting the Sterling Scholar application done was a huge project, even though his mom made the achievement part easy. Looking back on the process, Solomon said the final interview was the most nerve-wracking part.
“Gathering my achievements was easy because my mom always makes me keep all of those when I get one, it goes right into the binder,” Stewart said. “The interview part made me nervous because I am just bad at talking to people in general. I think the fact that the interviewers were adults judging me may have made it worse.”
When it comes to writing styles, Solomon knows what he’s good at. He sticks to the kind of stories that come easily, and he’s already made up his mind about one genre he’s not touching.
“I enjoy fiction writing the most because it comes the easiest for me,” he said. “I have tried many different types of writing to see if there is something else I should focus on, but I won’t ever try romance. I don’t think I would ever be good at romance writing.”
Now that the Sterling Scholar process is complete, his ultimate career goal shows he wants both the fun of creativity and a stable, reliable job, making sure he can stay connected to English for years to come.
“I would like to be an author, but I also think being an English teacher would be a good path because it offers a constant flow of income and wouldn’t be based on performance,” Stewart said.
