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
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