Many children dream of becoming doctors. For Chana Jerome, that dream is a step closer to reality after earning The Gates Scholarship, which will help pave her path toward a career in pediatric medicine.
Since she was young, the recent Pickerington High School Central graduate has always known she wanted to be a pediatrician and help others, like the pediatricians who helped her family.
As she starts her college journey at The Ohio State University this fall, Jerome will do so without the burden of financial concerns after earning The Gates Scholarship. After years of earning good grades and months working through the application process, she became one of 750 students across the country awarded this four-year scholarship that will help her make a difference in the lives of others.
The path to pediatrics
Chana Jerome
Jerome says her desire to enter the medical field comes from the experiences she and her family experienced when her brother was sick. At just 3 years old, her younger brother passed away due to complications of a heart defect and Down syndrome.
As her family worked through the challenges of her brother’s passing, Jerome was inspired by the compassion and explanation the pediatrician provided her family, and hopes one day she will be able to do the same for others.
“(I want to) make sure that kids are growing up how they’re supposed to,” Jerome says.
She began to work towards this goal by earning good grades – striving for all A’s and the highest GPA she could earn – throughout middle and high school. In high school, Jerome’s passion led her to volunteer at the Mount Carmel Health medical complex in Pickerington as a guest representative, where she directly interacted with patients, bringing her great joy.
“It was amazing because I get to be immersed (in) a field where I’m about to be in,” she says.
Jerome was also in the Project Lead The Way program, which consisted of additional classes where she learned biology through the lens of healthcare, anatomy of the human body and how to apply that knowledge to be able to prevent, detect and treat illnesses.
During her senior year, Jerome went to OhioHealth five days a week and was able to shadow doctors once a week throughout various areas of the hospital to learn about different departments.
“Even though I know I want to be in pediatrics, it’s important to keep an open mind and not close any doors just because you don’t think that you want to do it,” Jerome says.
The scholarship
Chana Jerome
Jerome on a band trip to New York
Jerome was searching for scholarships on Google and TikTok when The Gates Scholarship caught her attention. Despite the Scholarship’s strict requirements, Jerome was confident she had a shot with her 4.5 GPA and a long list of clubs she was involved in, including the Leadership Club, Science Olympiad and National Honors Society.
She began the application process in September 2025 and had no idea how tough the process could be. After seven months of writing essays, collecting recommendation letters and reviewing every detail, Jerome finally finished with a finalist interview in March 2026 and just had to wait.
Throughout the long process, she was grateful for the support she received from her friends and especially her parents.
“My parents were always there to support me, to give me snacks when I was writing essays and to just give me encouragement and to inspire me to think of the possibility of winning it,” Jerome says.
After a month of waiting, Jerome was first notified she won The Gate Scholarship on April 20 by email, and received a phone call while at work the next day and could barely contain her excitement.
“I remember jumping with joy. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my parents the good news,” Jerome says.
Chana Jerome
Jerome on a HOSA trip
The next chapter
Looking ahead to the next few years, Jerome is excited to attend The Ohio State University, where she plans to earn a bachelor’s in biology, as well as a minor in music.
She also hopes to find her place and her people by getting active in groups such as a music club and maintaining her status in groups such as HOSA, a program to help promote career possibilities for future health professionals.
As she slowly works towards her pediatrician goals, Jerome looks forward to her next four years and the opportunities it will offer her.
“Going to OSU, I feel like I’m going to grow as a person (and) grow in my personality,” says Jerome.
Angelina Godfrey is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
