13-year-old Alena Analeigh Wicker has made history as the youngest Black person to get accepted into medical school. The child prodigy took to Instagram to share the amazing news with her followers.
“Today I’m just grateful. I graduated High school LAST YEAR at 12 years old and here I am one year later I’ve been accepted into Med School at 13. I’m a junior in college. Statistics would have said I never would have made it. A little black girl adopted from Fontana California. I’ve worked so hard to reach my goals and live my dreams. Mama I made it. I couldn’t have done it without you. You gave me every opportunity possible to be successful.”
She continued in her post, thanking her mother for the support that she gave her up until this point, and for the “oreos, comfort, and discipline, when needed.”
Alena had, at first, set her sights on studying engineering, with the hopes of one day working for NASA. However, as reported by KPNX, Channel 12 news, she shifted her career goals to medicine after a trip abroad to Jordan.
“It actually took one class in engineering, for me to say this is kind of not where I wanted to go,” she explained in her interview with the news outlet. “I think viral immunology really came from my passion for volunteering and going out there engaging with the world.”
The talented scholar continued, “What I want from healthcare is to really show these underrepresented communities that we can help that we can find cures for these viruses.”
In addition to “staying true” to herself and “working on [her] dreams,” Alena is also encouraging other young Black girls join her in pursuing STEM careers through her foundation, The Brown STEM Girl.
“I’ve always thought, Why can’t girls of color do STEM and pursue jobs in STEM like others? I’ve always believed that girls of color can do anything in STEM that they put their minds to, so I created the Brown STEM Girl to give STEM opportunities to girls of color,” Alena told Ebony Magazine in an interview when she recognized as one of their 2022 HBCU STEM Queens.
Congratulations, Alena! We cannot wait to see what is next for you!
