She earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School and her B.A. in Political Science and Community Development from Vanderbilt University. Upon graduating from Vanderbilt, Palmer spent a year in South Africa serving orphans. While living in South Africa, Palmer met her future brother, Aphiwe, who her parents adopted when she returned to the states. Palmer also previously worked at Show Hope as the Advancement Coordinator. She and her husband, Joseph, have two sons, Jack and Henry, and live in Nashville, TN.