Scholarship is one thing that our community has always loved, despite the negative images portrayed of us. Therefore, it warms my spirit when our celebrities make educational attainment a priority in their lives. It gives wings to the dreams of our young people, in my opinion.

This is the path Danielle “Dee” Spencer took in her life. Born September 7th, 1965, the outspoken child star made of laugh, smile and get through the work week on the epic show “What’s Happening!” The sitcom ran from 1976 to 1979, but the reruns are still in rotation and we still enjoy them to this very day.

After her television stardom, Spencer attended the University of California-Davis for two years in 1983-1985 to pursue her degree in veterinary medicine. She was encouraged on this path by her father who died in a car accident when Spencer was just a little girl.

In fact, Spencer was in that car with her father and received treatment for spinal stenosis.

Spencer left California-Davis to go play Dee in four episodes of the sequel to the hit show, “What’s Happening Now!

” After which, she returned to school at the HBCU Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and eventually became a Dr. in veterinarian studies in 1996.

[ADSENSE2]Spencer left California-Davis to go play Dee in four episodes of the sequel to the hit show, “What’s Happening Now!” After which, she returned to school at the HBCU Tuskegee University School of 

Spencer says her experience spinal injury and paralysis led her to change her perspective on just treating animals to alleviate their pain, but to start finding underlying causes of their problems. Thus, she plunged deeper and deeper into her practice.

She currently works at the Saugus Animal Hospital in California as a Doctor of Veterinary medicine. She got married in 2014 and seems to be very happy, but tragedy struck again last year for her. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Speaking with Black America Web, Spencer said, “With everything that I’ve been through with the spinal cord injury, I said I know God is not going to give me another affliction.” She continued, “So I was completely shocked when the doctors told me.”

Spencer mentioned this form of cancer runs through her family as it does so many of ours.

We wish her nothing but the best in her recovery from cancer, but glad to hear she is in great spirits, working in her passion and lifting the community as she climbs.