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is no stranger to success. She set her sights on a bright future long ago and has worked diligently to put herself on the path to success ever since. As early as the sixth grade, Alena knew she wanted to attend Spelman College. She considered it the best school for African American women and, being a self-proclaimed perfectionist, knew that Spelman was where she had to be.
While at Independence High School, Alena was an accomplished basketball player and was being recruited by several universities. Since basketball was not an option at Spelman, Alena and her parents could not rely on an athletic scholarship to cover the cost of her tuition. They immediately began to search for financial assistance. One source they came across was I KNOW I CAN. I KNOW I CAN awarded Alena a Last Dollar Grant for four years.
Spelman College is an expensive private institution, and even with financial aid, Alena still had unmet need. Nevertheless, she was determined to attend, so she and her parents met with a college representative who said that if Alena proved herself during her freshman year that more money would become available. Her parents counted on Alena's determination and the college's assurance and took out a small loan for the first year. Alena worked hard to prove herself, earning straight A's. "After that it worked out. Every year it seemed like more money just appeared on my financial aid letter." She believes her case is a good lesson for others, that finances should not stop anyone from achieving their dreams and that with hard work, things will work out.
Alena's interest in learning about herself and about how people think led her to major in psychology. Her senior thesis at Spelman was a study of the correlates of well being in African American women. She carried on this research for her master's thesis at The Ohio State University, this time comparing the well being of African American women at Historically Black Colleges with that of African American and European American women at predominately white colleges and universities. A product of a Historically Black College, Alena says she expected the well being of African American women at these institutions to be higher and was surprised when her research did not support her initial hypothesis. However, she did find African American women across the board to have higher levels of well being than European American women.
Alena is now studying for her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Her dissertation will build upon her previous findings and will involve researching factors, such as spirituality, that may be unique in accounting for well being in African American populations. Alena says that spirituality has contributed to her strong character and that, above all, she credits her success to her relationship with God.
Thinking ahead has also played a role in Alena's achievements. She says, "I've tried to think of what I can be doing now that will make me more marketable and will make me stand out." One way is by making herself well rounded. At Ohio State, she has been involved in clinical work, teaching, and administration. Alena believes that a Ph.D. in counseling psychology will offer a great deal of career flexibility but adds that she is most interested in working with college students who, she says, are old enough to make their own decisions but also want you to be influential in their lives. Certainly, Alena's own poise, self-confidence and history of hard work and dedication will prove vital in achieving her future goals.
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