13-year-old girl is the youngest Black medical school student in American history
…..she would not have succeeded without her mother’s support and sacrifices in her life,
Alena Analeigh Wicker, 13, will begin her studies in 2024 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Wicker posted on Instagram a video showing her acceptance letter to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She captioned the post, “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. I’ve worked so hard to reach my goals and live my dreams. Mama, I made it.”
Wicker wrote that she would not have succeeded without her mother’s support and sacrifices in her life, though she hopes to share her success with others, as well. She started the Brown STEM Girl Foundation to remove financial barriers for women of color studying in STEM fields, and to provide exceptional learning opportunities as they gain a higher education.
Wicker has been featured in Ebony and Forbes interviews as the “Brown STEM Girl” has made waves in and out of school. She is an advocate for “unschooling” — putting less emphasis on test scores and regimented classrooms, and learning while traveling around the country and world. Though she has attended traditional public schools, Wicker was primarily homeschooled by her mother, Daphne McQuarter.
