"Ever since eighth grade, I've wanted to do this program because it's awesome for journalists," Palmer said. "You get to live in this whole new region that you're not familiar with."
After a couple of weeks of orientation at Princeton University and further orientation in San Francisco, Palmer will go to Asia, where she will most likely work for an English-language Asian newspaper.
Palmer will go through orientation in a variety of fields.
"We don't look for specific fields when we're interviewing," said Helene Redell, vice president of the foundation and program director for the Luce Scholars Program. "They're chosen because they're leaders in their field."
Palmer saw the advertisement for the program in The New York Times in September and decided she would follow up on it by going to the fellowships office at Amherst. The College selected Palmer, who then had a preliminary interview in Boston. When she was designated a finalist, Palmer visited New York City for two days. She went through six back-to-back interviews.
"Kim has such intellectual sparkle and a sleuth's eye for the telling detail," said Associate Professor of English and American Studies Karen Sanchez-Eppler.
Palmer said that she aspired to be an editorial and non-fiction writer. Just before coming to Amherst, she started freelancing for The Washington Post, writing style and feature stories about college life issues, women's issues and issues of race-relations.
The summer before her junior year at Amherst, Palmer started writing for USA Today and last summer she worked as a reporter for The Post.
"So for the last four years, I've written 40 articles-freelance, as a staff writer or both," Palmer said.
Although she's been published in The Boston Globe and Girls' Life magazine, in addition to The Post and USA Today, she said that she has received many rejection letters as well.
"I have 100 rejection slips at home," she said. "Now I know more people, and I've learned what they want more ... But I used to get so frustrated, especially last year when about 80 percent of what I sent in was rejected."
Luce Scholar candidates are nominated by 67 colleges and universities. After interviews with the foundation's staff, finalists meet with one of three selection panels who choose the 18 Luce Scholars. The program begins in late August and concludes the following July.