Alena is an American student. Like other 13-year-olds, she enjoys singing, going to the movies and hanging out with her friends. But unlike other teenagers, she is now studying biological (生物的) sciences at university. She is the youngest black student to be accepted into medical university in the US.
Alena has had a strong interest in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—from an early age. She is always thirsty for knowledge. When she was in fifth grade, the girl started to attend high school-level course online after school. Taking extra classes, Alena said, was more of a pleasure than a pain. Learning new skills seemed to be a walk in the park for her.
But if you think Alena is just a bookworm (书呆子), you are totally wrong. Besides excellent grades at school, the girl has created the "Brown STEM GIRLS" program, hoping that it can offer girls of colour a chance to receive education in STEM.
As one of Alena's teachers said, what really makes the girl different from the other teenagers is not her brain but her heart. Alena always wants to help and to lift others up. As a medical student, she hopes that she can use her knowledge and skills to help people in need.
Alena hopes to serve as an example to others. She wants to prove (证明) that someone's age should never stand in the way of his or her success. "What is age?" she said. "You're not too young to do anything. You can achieve anything as long as you put your heart and mind into it. You can do it. Don't let anybody tell you no."
