By Zuko Komisa
A 13-year-old girl made history by being the youngest American of African descent to be admitted to a medical school.
Under the Burroughs Wellcome Scholars Early Assurance Program, the University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine welcomed Alena Wicker in May.
Alena shared a note to her mother along with her acceptance letter on Instagram.
“Today I’m just grateful. 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. 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,” Wicker wrote.
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Wicker is accustomed to trying new things. She has already completed 2.5 years of college at ASU and Oakwood University and is a junior in college at the age of 12.
She is the founder of The Brown STEM Girl charity and a nominee for TIME’s Top Kid of the Year.
According to the Brown STEM Girl website, the foundation was established to give girls of colour access to S.T.E.M. – science, technology, engineering, or math.
Additionally, she was recognized this year with the 2022 Global Child Prodigy of the World in Science Award.
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