17-Year-Old Earns Doctorate Alongside Her Mother After NASA Internship at 12

• Alena McQuarter, 17, received a Doctor of Education degree at Columbia Southern University on October 23 alongside her mother, Daphne
• Alena had already secured a NASA internship at age 12 and received a medical school acceptance at 13 before pursuing her doctorate
• A primary school principal once dismissed Alena's potential in fifth grade, but she credits that moment as fuel for her remarkable journey

A 17-year-old American prodigy and her mother stepped onto the same graduation stage at Columbia Southern University on October 23, 2026, turning a family dream into a defining moment in front of more than 1,300 fellow graduates.

Alena McQuarter walked away with a Doctor of Education degree while her mother, Daphne, collected a bachelor's degree in psychology at the commencement held at the Foley Event Centre in Foley, Alabama.

For the McQuarters, the ceremony was the product of years of sacrifice, faith, and quiet determination.

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A Gift Daphne Refused to Ignore

Daphne traces everything back to a single observation she made when Alena was barely out of toddlerhood.

"She was 3 years old reading chapter books," she said.

"And I knew, I think, at that moment, that there was a gift in her that I had to nurture."

That nurturing unlocked extraordinary milestones. Alena secured a NASA internship at age 12 and received a medical school acceptance at 13.

Her path was not entirely straight, however. Three weeks into an engineering programme at Arizona State University, she withdrew, telling her mother the coursework wanted her to build a chair.

Daphne stepped back without argument, and Alena pivoted to biomedical sciences without looking back.

Discouragement came from an unexpected corner when a primary school principal dismissed her potential during fifth grade.

"Having someone that you look up to tell you no, it's kind of heartbreaking in the moment," Alena said. "But I had the drive. So, you know, I proved it wrong."

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The teachers who stayed the course

Two educators left a lasting mark on Alena's journey. Marie-Claire Boutrin, a biology professor at Oakwood University in Huntsville, taught Alena at just 13 and found the experience liberating.

"With Alena, I felt free to actually teach without the limitations of the normal system," Boutrin said.

"Teaching is not just about conveying academic information. Teaching is mentoring."

Nyasia Brunson, who taught Alena in sixth and seventh grade, has since travelled from Texas to Arizona and then to Alabama to attend every one of her graduations. Watching Daphne throughout, Brunson reflected:

"I have watched the sacrifices. I have witnessed the prayers, the tears, the encouragement. There's nothing she won't do."

Sharing the stage with her daughter required some planning. When Daphne approached Freda Braddock, dean of Columbia Southern's College of Education, Braddock needed little persuading, having herself once graduated alongside her own mother.

"Daphne told me, 'Alena and I, if we get the chance, we're gonna graduate together,'" Braddock recalled.

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"And I said, 'Say less. We're gonna make it happen.'"

In her commencement address, Alena offered her fellow graduates a challenge to carry forward:

"It is not enough to get through the door if you don't hold it open for somebody else."

Alena expects to complete her PhD at Loma Linda University early next year, with plans for medical missions and a pilot's licence to follow.

Daphne, meanwhile, is pursuing a master's degree in global education while raising two grandsons, aged 11 and 8, guided by the same belief that shaped her daughter: every child carries a unique gift worth nurturing.

The YouTube post below has the 17-year-old American prodigy Alena McQuarter's full story.

The Facebook post below has old videos of the American prodigy Alena McQuarter.

President Mahama honoured with doctorate in Russia

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that President John Dramani Mahama received an honorary doctorate from the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) in Moscow.

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The ceremony took place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, during the President’s visit to Russia.

In videos and photos shared by The 1957 News, Mahama was seen being robed in the university’s academic gown.

Source: YEN.com.gh