13-year-old Black girl accepted into medical school
Alena Analeigh Wicker, already on her way to completing an undergraduate degree, embodies #BlackGirlMagic.
Congratulations are in order for Alena Analeigh Wicker, who at just 13-years-old has been accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heersink School of Medicine, according Black Enterprise.
After graduating high school at 12, Wicker completed more than half of her undergraduate requirements at her current schools of Arizona State University (ASU) and Oakwood University in one year.
The child prodigy, hailing from Fontana, California, has now taken a historic step toward her goal of becoming a doctor by the age of 18 after the University of Alabama informed her in May that she had been selected for the school’s Burroughs Wellcome Scholars Early Assurance Program. The program has partnerships with multiple historically Black schools in Alabama and offers early acceptance and support resources for matriculating medical students.
According to the report from Black Enterprise, Wicker is the youngest Black student in America ever accepted into a medical school, a claim that theGrio was unable to independently verify.
“I really want to leave my mark on the world. And lead a group of girls that know what they can do,” Wicker told 12 News Arizona regarding her ultimate vision for her promising young career.
At 12-years-old, Wicker also founded the Brown STEM Girl foundation, which offers students of color access to scholarships and mentoring opportunities as they graduate college and enter into their chosen professional fields, according to Black Enterprise.
She told 12 News that although she initially wanted to pursue an engineering career with NASA, she decided to shift her sights to a career in medicine, specifically to study immune system responses to viruses.
“It actually took one class in engineering, for me to say this is kind of not where I wanted to go,” Wicker told the outlet. “I think viral immunology really came from my passion for volunteering and going out there engaging with the world.”
“What I want from healthcare is to really show these underrepresented communities that we can help, that we can find cures for these viruses,” she added.
Wicker proudly shared her medical school acceptance letter via her Instagram page with a heartwarming message of gratitude to her adopted mother, who she thanked for providing her “every opportunity 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,” Wicker wrote. “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.”
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