A young lady identified as Ashanti Palmer has gotten $430K in scholarships after she didn’t miss a day of school during her time at Nellie A. Thornton High School.

The young lady is a graduating senior at Nellie A. Thornton High School and the Performing & Visual Arts Magnet Program and achieved perfect attendance her entire education career.

She would go on to receive multiple scholarships worth more than $430,000 to cover all expenses related to her four-year pursuit of a biomedical engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“Ashanti’s achievements in the Mount Vernon schools have been nothing short of remarkable,” said Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton, Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent.

“We strive to ensure our students graduate from here college- and career-ready, and Ashanti is a testament to that goal. Her perfect attendance record throughout her many years in the District have helped build a foundation of academic excellence that she will utilize in the next chapter as a student of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.”

Palmer during her valedictorian speech said;

“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.”