Mia Palmer is a senior at Highland this year. She is the youngest of four and is very close with her family. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old and is now continuing to pursue her dream of dancing.

Palmer’s mom, Susie Palmer, has been a big supporter throughout her life in both Sterling Scholar and everything else surrounding dance.

“She has been so easy to raise and never given her parents a minute of trouble,” Susie said. “Her personality is calm, easy going, and fun. She has a great sense of humor and a very contagious giggle. She gets alone with everyone, and her siblings love and adore her. Mia is extremely bright, talented and dedicated to whatever she does, and we are so lucky to call her our own.”

Palmer has been dancing at Silhouette Dance Studio since she was a little girl. When she was younger, she saw her older sister become an amazing dancer and choreographer which motivated her to follow the same footsteps. Since then, she has been dancing on a studio company and going to consistent competitions for the past 6 years. She is also in a leading position this year as one of Highland Dance Company’s co-presidents.

Palmer made HDC her freshman year and has been dancing with the company the four years since. Although her schedule is busy with the constant rehearsals, Palmer also finds time to dance around 5 hours every week at Silhouette. She continues the inspiration with younger girls as she also finds time to teach 3-5^th graders between 5 and 6 hours each week.

“Without a doubt, Mia’s passion is dance,” Susie said. “But she also loves to hang out with her family and friends and travel to anywhere with a beach. She loves to go on drink runs to In-N-Out, and shopping, especially for shoes. Mia is a peacemaker at home and a total joy to be around.”

In her spare time, Palmer likes to be with her friends. Although most of her attention and focus goes to dancing and school, she still makes time for her friends and family. This year, she, along with other senior girls, made a junior jazz team called Netrippers. They make time to practice their skills and play games on the weekends.

Not only is Palmer committed to the rehearsals in Dance Company, but also the social aspects. She makes sure to make time for her team and bond with the other girls to bring them all closer together.

The pathway Sterling Scholar takes a lot of time for anyone who is interested in pursuing it. Although Palmer has had a very busy senior schedule balancing all her commitments, Sterling Scholar was always important to her.

“Dance is my favorite thing to do,” Palmer said. “Sterling Scholar has always been a goal of mine.”

To apply as a candidate for Sterling Scholar, Palmer first had to fill out an application that required her to think back on all the dance experience and service or volunteer work she had previously had. She then had to prepare for an audition by bringing in some of her own choreography as well as being ready for questions and improvisation.

“Mia really worked hard for Sterling Scholar and spent a lot of time on the choreography of her dance,” Susie said. “She has a very unique style and has a great ability to choose the perfect music for her dances. Mia excels in many styles of dance including hip hop, jazz, ballet, and contemporary.”

Being Highland’s Sterling Scholar for dance is another thing she can add to her accomplished goals within her dance career during training before she moves on to college.

When Palmer graduates, her hope is to continue dancing and minor in it wherever she goes to college. She is deciding between UVU and BYU for campuses she will attend in the fall. No matter where she goes, she is also hoping to continue teaching younger girls and inspiring others to continue dancing like she did.