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Incredible: 13yr-old girl becomes youngest black student accepted to medical school

An extraordinarily brilliant young girl, Alena Analeigh Wicker, aged 13, has become the youngest black student ever to be accepted into medical school.

Alena was up against a very tall hurdle; Aside from her age, only 7% of applicants are accepted into US medical schools, and only 7% are black students.

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Alena with her mentor, Clayton Turner, Director, NASA’s Langley Research Center. (Alena Analeigh)

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In an Instagram post, Alena said, “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.

You cheered me on, wiped my tears, gave me Oreos when I needed comfort, you never allowed me to settle, disciplined me when I needed. You are the best mother a kid could ever ask for. MAMA, I MADE IT! You always believed in me. You allowed me space to grow and become, make mistakes without making me feel bad. You allowed me the opportunity to experience the world.”

At just three years of age, Alena was already reading chapter books; at 11, she was taking high school courses; by 12, she enrolled in two colleges (Arizona State University and Alabama’s Oakwood University) to earn two separate degrees in biological sciences.

In an interview with the Washington Post, she insisted she is still a normal 13-year-old. She said, “I’m still a normal 13-year-old. You’re not too young to do anything. I feel like I have proven to myself that I can do anything that I put my heart and mind to.”

Aside from her studies, she still enjoys going to the movies, playing soccer, baking and hanging out with friends. However, she mentioned discipline and excellent time management skills have kept her going.

I just have extremely good time management skills and am very disciplined,” she said.

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Alena with Elaine Vanterpool, the biology department chair at Oakwood University. (Alena Analeigh)

The young girl from Texas says she loves school, learning, and reading and plans to become a doctor by age 18.

When I took my first biological class, I knew in that moment that this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” she said. A big part of what I want to do is viral immunology, and I want to advocate for underrepresented communities that lack health care. It’s something that I’ve become passionate about,” she said.

The young genius has earned several awards, including being listed as a finalist for Time’s Top Kid of the Year 2022 award.

Alena is also the founder of the Brown STEM Girl organisation, a medium to inspire and give scholarships to young girls of colour pursuing STEM.

ALSO READ: Young African boy who used to walk to school emerges as best student in London University

She said, “It feels amazing to be able to create a path for girls that look like me. It doesn’t matter how old you are. You can do it. Don’t let anybody tell you no.

I would say to any little girl out there that’s reading this: Never give up on you, never let someone tell you that you can’t do something.”