A high school valedictorian with a perfect school attendance record is preparing to begin her college journey. Ashanti Palmer, a graduating senior at in Mount Vernon, N.Y., earned more than $430,000 in college scholarships.
The high school senior at Nellie A. Thornton High School, and the Performing & Visual Arts Magnet Program, has never missed a day from Pre-K to high school. Due to the global pandemic, Palmer’s and her fellow high school graduates participated in a virtual graduation last week.
“Being named valedictorian feels good because it shows that all the hard work I’ve put in over the years has paid off, and that effort is being celebrated in a big way,” said Palmer. “In terms of my perfect attendance, it wasn’t something that I sought out. I knew that showing up to school every day was important, because even missing one day can set you back. It wasn’t until 10th grade that I realized I hadn’t missed a day, and then I wanted to keep up the streak.”
Palmer will be pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Upstate New York. After college, Palmer plans to open a research company aimed at encouraging women of color to enter STEM fields.
Check out the video below for more on Palmer’s extraordinary achievements.