Alena Analeigh Wicker graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University this week. In a few months she’ll earn her master's degree. She's already been accepted into medical school.
And she’s only 15.
Adopted as an infant, Alena grew up in North Texas. Her mom, Daphne McQuarter, said she noticed Alena was exceptional from a very young age, reading regular textbooks by age 3. She was so smart, kids in school picked on her. So, her mom homeschooled her.
“I don’t want to say I was different,” Alena Wicker said. “I was just thinking about the different possibilities of what I could do. And, when it came to education, I was like, ‘why not move forward if I have the chance to do so?’
“I think I was just thinking bigger or going and doing the things that no one else had done before.”
Alena credits her mother for being her support system when others didn’t believe in her.
“I think I just always knew that there was something about her,” Daphne McQuarter said of her daughter. “And I actually do believe that kids know. I believe that in the right environment, the right nurturing, I believe that kids know. So from a young age, I gave her freedom of expression. I gave her a voice."
By age 12, Alena had finished her high school education. Arizona State University admitted her as an undergrad in engineering. But after some classes, she didn’t feel sparks — so she switched to medicine.
“I took my first biology class and I really found it. That was my passion. I love thinking about health care, learning more about our bodies, how they work,” she said. “And then later into the biological sciences, I learned more about cancer biology, the immune system and immunology and, yeah, I think that's what really opened my eyes. There's so many other things you can do.”
And Alena’s doing them. For instance, with her mom’s help, she launched a nonprofit for aspiring female science geeks.
“I created the Brown STEM Girl organization which advocates for girls of color in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math),” Alena said. “It’s to show them there's a safe space with other girls who are smart like them. All they need is just to get out there and do what they're called to do.”
As for Alena’s next pursuits, she’ll soon be off to medical school. Having already been accepted to Alabama, she’s considering other options, so hasn’t yet committed. She might head to California, Maryland, an HBCU or return to where she grew up — Texas.
Her mom says any one of several schools are top notch, with outstanding professors.
She says the tougher question for Alena is: “Where are you going to be happy? Where are you going to thrive?”
