JHEANELLE LEWIS: Defying the Odds Wins Her the Ticket To Med School
Jheanelle Lewis defied the odds and she is proud to tell you that. She should be. The 2009 Caldwell College graduate was recently accepted into Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. After being told over and over again, that it was nearly impossible for international students to get into medical schools in U.S., Lewis, who is from the island of Jamaica, was determined to reach her goal. "It can be done," she said. "I worked really hard. I stepped outside the box." That stepping out certainly paid off. A Biology major with a Chemistry minor, Lewis says it was the extra studying she did outside the classroom and the extra help she received from Caldwell College Biology Professor Catherine Koo, Ph.D. that helped her prepare for the MCATs. It was "intense" for sure in Dr. Koo's classes, but the academic benefits were well worth it. "She gave us a competitive edge. We had to do a great deal of studying for her classes." Lewis says she learned to step out of her comfort zone and seek out faculty to help her pursue her goals. She advises other students to do the same because there is that type of one-on-one opportunity at Caldwell that there might not be at a larger institution. "That's the advantage of Caldwell College," says Dr. Koo. "Caldwell provides the opportunity and the faculty is willing, but it has to be the student's initiative. We are very happy for Jheanelle."
Along with studying hard to maintain a GPA of 3.9, Lewis has been active in several campus organizations. As president of Tri-Beta at Caldwell, the Biology Honor Society, and Founder and President of the Caldwell College Science Club, she has worked hard to encourage students to invest time and energy-yes, even their free time and energy-into the Science department and the Science Club. "I really love the Science Department. The Science students are a tight knit group and we help each other grow." Many people think "science is boring, but it can be fun," and she proudly points to the Caldwell College Science Club's slogan, "Scientific is terrific!" In addition, she gets great satisfaction out of tutoring students in Biology and Chemistry in the Academic Support Center, and she has been involved on campus as secretary of the International Student Organization. At the graduation honors convocation she received the Frederick W. Neumann II Award, which is presented to an outstanding biology student who has demonstrated meritorious work in the biological sciences.
Lewis has set her sights on becoming a pediatrician and hopefully someday building a hospital in her native Jamaica for those who cannot afford proper health care. Those dreams are fueled by a love for children and her own life experiences. Losing both of her parents while she was a child, and being raised by her grandmother who encourages her to excel in everything she does, has helped her realize the gift of being a parent. She hopes to someday have several of her own children. "My mother died at 19 and always wanted to have several children. Since she never got to do that, I want to do that for her." She is determined to keep excelling in everything she sets out to do. "I want to be my best, not just for me, but also for my Grandmother and my Mother."