She is one year away from graduating with a double Bachelor’s degree.

She will attend a master’s program before attending medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine.

This isn’t the first time McQuarter made history. At 12 years old, she became the youngest person to ever intern with NASA. Since, she’s decided she has set her sights on the medical field.

“I was like, this is what I want to do. I want to go into healthcare. I want to help others and get involved with underrepresented communities,” she said. “There are viruses all over the world that don’t have cures and I want to be the person who helps to find those cures.”

McQuarter also started her own foundation, Brown STEM Girl, which offers mentorship and encouragement to girls to follow their dreams, and consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

On top of studying, Alena also travels, plays soccer and bakes.

Her mother, Daphne McQuarter, says it is important for her daughter to have balance.

“It was my job to nurture the gift I saw in her and understanding her as a kid and letting her have the space to be a kid,” she said.

Alena says she couldn’t have achieved her goals without her mom by her side.

“From that young age she always saw something special in me. She knew there was something different, and she used it as a chance to show me that there’s a whole world out there that needs what I am doing right now.”