She was born in Belize City, and although she mostly grew up overseas, she completed part of her primary and post-secondary education in Belize. Edgell joined Florida A&M in 2001 after working as a television news producer in the USA. Her career took her from Youngstown, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. She got her start in broadcast journalism as the first news director for Great Belize Television’s News 5. In 1995, Edgell earned a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from Kent State University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Michigan State University with the support of a scholarship from the Government of Belize, her prize for winning the 1986–87 Miss Belize crown. Holly Edgell is the daughter of Al and Zee Edgell and is married to Eduardo Lopez of Havana, Cuba.