Vaida Palmer of Altoona is competing for the title of America’s Favorite Student and has made it to the quarterfinals..

Vaida is a fourth-grade student Penn Lincoln Elementary School and is the daughter of Charissa Buck of Altoona.

Winner will appear in Reader’s Digest, tour The Planetary Society in Pasadena, Calif., with Bill Nye, and win $20,000.

America’s Favorite Student will share their educational journey in the pages of Reader’s Digest, highlighting the power of learning and inspiring readers nationwide.

Help Vaida become America’s Favorite Student by casting a free daily vote, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Planetary Society and their mission to inspire curiosity and help shape the future of space exploration for all.

The link to vote for Vaida is https://americasfavstudent.org/2026/vaida

Voting for semi-finalists ends at 7 p.m. PDT on Thursday, May 7.