On April 14, the sky wasn’t the limit — it was just the beginning — for A’nya Buckner, a senior pre-med student at Winston-Salem State University and one of our outstanding Northwest AHEC Scholars. While she stood on the ground in Van Horn, Texas, watching history unfold, her research was quite literally soaring into space.
Buckner was one of three WSSU students selected to participate in Blue Origin’s historic all-female space mission, where their research project, involving plant biology, was included on board. As a member of our AHEC Scholars Cohort 5, Buckner has demonstrated a strong commitment to hands-on learning, community service, and interprofessional education — values that are deeply woven into this unique opportunity.
“This experience means everything to me,” Buckner shared. “I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned from my labs and lectures to real-world research — and seeing our seedlings in space.”
For Buckner, who aspires to become an emergency room physician or anesthesiologist, this experience bridges her academic journey with a powerful glimpse into what’s possible through collaboration, innovation, and scientific exploration.
The project was part of a collaboration between WSSU and Blue Origin’s nonprofit, Club for the Future, which aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. It’s an incredible milestone — not only for the students and faculty involved, but for women in STEM and future healthcare leaders everywhere.
We’re proud to support scholars like A’nya Buckner, who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in science and medicine — even if that means launching it into orbit.
To learn more about our AHEC Scholars program and how we prepare students for impactful careers in healthcare, visit our website: https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/scholars
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