Alena McQuarter’s Recognition
The City of Roanoke honors the remarkable achievements of one of its own. As a 15-year-old prodigy and entrepreneur, Alena Analeigh McQuarter is recognized for her outstanding accomplishments in academia and business.
Alena recently graduated with her Master’s Degree Summa Cum Laude with Highest Distinction from Arizona State University, where she majored in Biology. Concurrently, she obtained her Bachelors where she graduated Summa Cum Laude majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Global Health.
At the age of 13, she was the youngest African American to ever be accepted to medical school at the University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine. Alena will be pursuing her PhD in Integrated Biomedical Sciences with a focus on infection, immunity, and inflammation at Loma Linda University in California this fall. She will then go on to obtain her doctor of medicine.
At 12, she became the youngest person of color to intern at NASA. Alena went on to launch The Brown STEM Girl Foundation to provide resources and access to other girls in STEM while encouraging them to pursue careers in the field. Her organization has provided over $100,000 in STEM scholarships locally and abroad, as well as funding mental health care access for college students.
Mayor Scooter Geirisch expressed his admiration for Alena’s extraordinary accomplishments, stating, “We are incredibly proud to have such a talented and driven young individual like Alena as part of our community. Her dedication, intelligence, and entrepreneurial vision inspire us all, and we are honored to recognize her achievements.”
As Alena continues to chart her path to success, the City of Roanoke looks forward to witnessing her continued accomplishments and the positive influence she will undoubtedly have on the world around her.
Join us in congratulating Alena on her exceptional achievements and celebrating the bright future that lies ahead for this remarkable young trailblazer. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Alena received a Key to the City as well as a proclamation honoring her achievements.
