By Prosper Mene
A 17-year-old American prodigy and her mother made history after graduating together at Columbia Southern University in the United States.
Alena McQuarter, 17, received a Doctor of Education degree, while her mother, Daphne, received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the same commencement ceremony held on October 23 at the Foley Event Center in Foley, Alabama.
The ceremony, which had over 1,300 graduates, was the culmination of years of sacrifice and determination for the family.
A Gift Recognised Early
Daphne said she knew early that her daughter was gifted.
“She was 3 years old reading chapter books. And I knew, I think, at that moment, that there was a gift in her that I had to nurture,” she said.
That gift soon showed. Alena secured a NASA internship at 12 and was accepted into medical school at 13.
Her academic journey was not without turns. She withdrew three weeks into an engineering programme at Arizona State University, telling her mother: “They want me to build a chair.” She later switched to biomedical sciences.
Not everyone believed in her. Alena recalled how a primary school principal dismissed her potential when she was in fifth grade.
“Having someone that you look up to tell you no, it’s kind of heartbreaking in the moment. But I had the drive. So, you know, I proved it wrong,” she said.
Teachers Who Believed
Two teachers left a lasting mark on her journey. Marie-Claire Boutrin, a biology professor at Oakwood University who taught Alena at 13, said teaching her was different.
“With Alena, I felt free to actually teach without the limitations of the normal system. Teaching is not just about conveying academic information. Teaching is mentoring,” she said.
Another teacher, Nyasia Brunson, who taught Alena in sixth and seventh grade, has attended all her graduations.
“I have watched the sacrifices. I have witnessed the prayers, the tears, the encouragement. There’s nothing she won’t do,” Brunson said, describing Daphne’s support.
Daphne’s dream of graduating alongside her daughter was made possible by Freda Braddock, Dean of Columbia Southern’s College of Education, who herself once graduated alongside her own mother.
“Daphne told me, ‘Alena and I, if we get the chance, we’re gonna graduate together,’ And I said, ‘Say less. We’re gonna make it happen,'” Braddock recalled.
In her commencement address, Alena challenged her fellow graduates: “It is not enough to get through the door if you don’t hold it open for somebody else.”
Alena is now expected to complete her Ph.D. at Loma Linda University early next year, with plans for medical missions and to obtain a pilot’s licence. Her mother is pursuing a master’s degree in global education while raising two grandsons, aged 11 and 8, with the same philosophy — that every child carries a unique gift worth nurturing.
