New York teen who never missed a day of school graduates as valedictorian

Ashanti Palmer ended her high school career on top.

The Mount Vernon, New York, resident graduated this month from Nellie A. Thornton High School and Performing & Visual Arts Magnet Program as valedictorian. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Palmer had a perfect attendance record, never missing a day of school from Pre-K to 12th grade.

Palmer told ABC 7 she "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."

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This fall, Palmer will begin studying biomedical engineering and medicine at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and she has received more than $430,000 in scholarships to cover the four-year program. All of her achievements have been "nothing short of remarkable," Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton said. Catherine Garcia