Meet Hollan Palmore
/FSLM Student Profile
By Reese Langdon
Pleasant Grove senior Hollan Palmore is one who can balance a demanding school day; an extensive extracurricular schedule consisting of cheer, track, and pageants; hours of volunteer work in her role as Miss North Texas Outstanding Teen; and a buzzing social life, all while maintaining a healthy mental state and a cheerful smile on her face. Hollan is no stranger to the fast, busy life and has no plans on slowing down. She even traded in a year of high school to speed up achieving her dreams.
“Ever since [2016], my goal has been to go [to Navarro College] to cheer, get my basics, and then transfer to a university after my two years are up,” Hollan said. “When I told [my academic counselor] I wanted to attend Navarro, which is a junior college, she told me I would be over the credit limit and would not be able to do so. She told me my best option would be to graduate early. I knew this was what I wanted to do so I could accomplish my dreams.”
Navarro College is notorious for its very decorated cheer program. They have won 15 national championship titles and are the subject of the hit Netflix series “Cheer.” Only the best in the nation can make this outstanding team, and not everyone on the team is even guaranteed a spot to perform on the National Cheerleaders Association stage in Daytona. Although Navarro has not given her an official offer yet, Hollan hopes that she will soon be showcasing her years of hard work.
“The perfect future would be a scholarship to cheer for Navarro,” Hollan said. “While at Navarro, the next goal will be making mat to compete at NCA college nationals at Daytona. Winning Daytona on mat two years in a row would be perfect.”
With chasing great hopes and dreams comes great sacrifice. Hollan has switched between many teams, traveled long distances, lost time with her loved ones and left some lifelong passions like dance and gymnastics. “When I made the decision that I was going to do everything I possibly could to prepare for college tryouts, I made two of the toughest decisions: I gave up competitive dance, which I’ve done all my life, and changed schools to where I thought was a better fit,” Hollan said. “I’ve also sacrificed spending time with friends, missing out on social events, and spending time with my family.”
However, one thing that Hollan does not sacrifice is her mental well-being. “I make sure that my mental health comes first by driving around with my friends, taking pictures, watching the sunset, attending hot yoga and journaling,” Hollan said. “These are a couple of things that help me reset and recover.”
Although she is ecstatic about what the next few years hold for her cheer career, Hollan has not lost sight of things outside of cheerleading. “The perfect idea would be winning Miss Texas in June,” Hollan said. “With this title, I will get to travel around Texas advocating my platform. By speaking to kids, coaches, and parents, I will be able to share personal stories and teach the signs to look for in an abusive coach. Also, I eventually plan to get my doctorate degree and become a sports psychologist.”
“Always remember no dream is unrealistic, but you have to be willing to put in the work for what you want.”
With Hollan’s goals and mentality, no task is too daunting – and she believes that to be true for anyone. “Always remember, no dream is unrealistic, but you have to be willing to put in the work for what you want,” she said. “In order to reach your dream, I encourage everyone to set small goals to accomplish throughout your work.”
Hollan is very appreciative of her supportive parents and the life lessons that cheer and her teammates have taught her. This constantly on-the-go, small-town high schooler teaches a lesson of finding the beauty in chaos. Her stacked schedule has given her a chance to learn self-discipline, make lifelong bonds, impact countless lives, and channel her passion into being the best version of herself every day.