AKA Soror Quiana Childress, soars toward lifelong dream

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Quiana Childress made headlines during University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s historic May 2010 graduation when First Lady Michelle Obama cited her as an example of overcoming adversity and graduating summa cum laude with a 3.935 GPA. ABC Network picked up on Childress’ story of how helping others kept her believing in herself and World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer named her “Person of the Week.”

In 2009, Childress, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the AR Undergraduate Cluster Coordinator, was accepted into BioSTEP, the summer biomedical research internship at Yale University’s School of Medicine. Childress, one of 24 applicants selected from a pool of 1000, was the first student from Arkansas to enter the program.   BioSTEP is a highly competitive, intensive 10-week research program where trainees conduct research in laboratories at Yale’s School of Medicine and West Haven Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. Childress also received a 2009-2010 NASA STEM Research Minority Grant for environmental research on UAPB’s campus.

Childress is the second of 10 children. Childress’ mother and stepfather worked hard to provide for their children, but sometimes that was not enough. So to help ease the burden, Childress and her eldest sister worked as nursing assistants and went to school. Unfortunately, at the age of 16, Quiana’s family fell apart and she became homeless.

She even had to retreat to her car but Childress still managed to keep up her grades and study. “I didn’t want to be a burden on anybody,” she said in previous interviews. “I did not want to take advantage of any situation. I just wanted a roof over my head, be able to go to school, play basketball, and just live what I would consider a normal life.”

Childress’ uncle and aunt in Little Rock opened their home to her where she essentially started over in a new school and a new location.

In July, at the AKAs 2010 64th biennial convention in Missouri, the sorority’s Educational Advancement Foundation awarded Childress a $25000 scholarship. “It would have been easy for Quiana to surrender and become one of life’s tragedies,” said former AKA International President Barbara A. McKinzie. “It is a testament commitment to excellence that inspired her to rise above the depths of despair to become a woman who is destined to change the world. We are proud to embrace her and help her achieve her dreams through this scholarship.”

Childress, who majored in biology, has accepted a 1-year NIH/NIEHS biomedical research internship in lung transplantation at renowned Research Triangle Park, NC and is currently completing medical school applications for Fall 2011 admission. Childress said that she is “looking for the medical school that will offer her the best chance to excel and make a difference.”

Childress said she’s defeated adversity and the odds through perseverance. When asked to summarize her life story, Childress responded, “Hard work really does pay off.”

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