Distinguished Student: Holly Palmer

You can better your community by bettering yourself. That’s what one Madison High School senior told us earlier this week.

Holly Palmer, this week’s United Dairymen of Idaho’s Distinguished Student award winner, describes herself as a well-rounded nerd.

Well-rounded, yes, and if keeping up more than a 4.0 GPA through Calculus 2 and Advanced Placement Physics makes her nerdy, that’s barely skimming the surface.

If that doesn’t leave you spinning, her color guard moves will.

“It’s fun to like be able to move a big 6-foot pole and chuck it 10 feet in the air and catch it,” said Holly. “When you catch the toss perfectly, you are just so thrilled with yourself, you can’t help but smile.”

Holly loves capturing the smiles of her classmates as yearbook editor.

“Everyone has a story, and I love yearbook because I get to hear everyone’s story,” she said.

Holly hopes the next chapter in her story is a degree in engineering. The sky’s the limit for Holly. She is an Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholar and is also accomplished in speech and debate.

“I could maybe see myself building the technology needed to get there, building the rockets or building the computers in the rockets,” said Holly.

She is a leader on her color guard team, at her high school, and in her community.

That’s what makes Holly Palmer this week’s Distinguished Student.