13 Going on MD

Alena Analeigh Wicker (now 14) is the youngest black person to be accepted to medical school.

Alena Analeigh is your average 14-year-old: She loves music, singing, and school— specifically science. She is in Honors Choir, and she runs track. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and going to arcades.

She’s also a junior in college and was accepted into med school when she was just 13 years old, making her the youngest black person to ever be accepted. She shared the news on her Instagram account: “Today I’m just grateful. I graduated high school last year at 12 years old, and here

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I am one year later—I’ve been accepted into med school at 13 [years old]. I’m a junior in college. I’ve worked so hard to reach my goals and live my dreams,” she wrote. She credits her mother, Daphne McQuarter, for supporting her along the way. “Mama, I made it,” she wrote. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You gave me 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 it, [and] always believed in me. You allowed me space to grow and make mistakes without making me feel bad. You allowed me the opportunity to experience the world.”

Alena was accepted into UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine for 2024 as part of the school’s Early Assurance Program, which partners with historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) schools in Alabama to offer students early acceptance. (She is currently a junior dual-enrolled at Arizona State University and Oakwood University in Huntsville, working toward two different undergraduate degrees in biological sciences through mostly online courses.) She is more than 10 years younger than the average incoming med student. Realizing this goal doesn’t change who she is, though. “I am still 14, and I have a very equally balanced life with college and my home life. I still do 14-year-old things and can absolutely relate to my friends,” she says. But she’s definitely not done yet.

“My goal is to become a viral immunologist,” she says. “I want to advocate for health care in under-represented communities. I want to find cures for diseases. I want to create a space for young girls to know they have a place in the field of STEM at a very young age, which is why I created my organization, The Brown STEM Girl, to advocate for girls of color in STEM.”

Alena founded the Brown STEM Girl (bsgscholars.brizy.site), for girls of color who are interested in exploring STEM careers in STEM. (In 2022, she was a finalist for TIME’s

Top Kid of the Year.)

“I got involved in STEM when I was much younger. It all started with LEGOS when I was like three or four years old, and it just grew from there,” she says. “I loved learning about stars when I was younger and going to astronomy nights. My mom used to take me to NASA centers during the summer and my love for STEM just grew from there.” Thanks to her interest in stem, in 2021 Alena became NASA’s youngest intern. “STEM is important because it builds confidence, it teaches real-word applications, it’s not just about math and science. STEM fuels creativity, it sharpens our critical thinking skills. STEM is such a broad field that allows you to explore and be creative.”

Of the med school application process, Alena notes that it was long and slightly tedious, but she’s so grateful to have been accepted. “UAB has a lot of amazing medical school programs,” she says. Alena is considering other programs and still intends to apply to a few others. No matter where she ends up, her success is a given. And she wants to see others succeed too.

“Find your place in whatever field of education that may be. Find your passion and create your own path. Never allow anyone to tell you that you can’t do something,” she says. “You can do anything you put your mind to. Build a community around you for support. Find mentors that will show up for you. Do what makes you happy, and remember, the sky isn’t the limit—you are your only limit.”