TEMPE, AZ — A twelve-year-old genius has just graduated from high school and been accepted to college with her eyes set on becoming a NASA scientist.
Alena Wicker is set to attend Arizona State University with plans to become a NASA scientist after graduation.
"I just had a goal I wanted to get to," Wicker said.
At 12 years old, Wicker is well on her way to achieving her dreams at Arizona State University.
The first one on her list is to work for NASA as an engineer.
"I always liked dreamed of being an engineer because throughout my life I liked building," Wicker said.
Her passion for building started as an infant with Legos.
"At four years old she said I'm going to work at NASA and I'm going to go up there, she would point to the stars," said Daphne Mcquarter, Alena's mom.
"I'm kind of a nerd for the NASA sized Legos," Wicker said.
The prodigy finished high school this year, acing all her home-school classes quickly.
"She just had a gift for numbers and Legos and science so I started nurturing that gift," said her mom.
One to exceed expectations, this 12-year-old genius will be double majoring in astronomical and planetary science and chemistry.
If all goes well, she'll be done with college at 16-years-old.
"I'll be driving one of those future space mobiles by the time I graduate college," Wicker said.
And she'll be off to NASA that same year.
"Her goal is to, by the age of 16, be working for NASA," Alena's mom said.
Wile some of us continue to struggle with math, Alena's goal is to build rovers like the one sent to Mars in the Perseverance mission.
"I'm just planning it all as I go," she said. "It doesn't matter what your age or what you're planning to do. Go for it, dream, then accomplish it."
Alena's next challenge is launching a podcast.
