Jehan

Every time Jehan finished a visit at Kaiser Women and Children’s Hospital, he received a sticker that he placed on his headboard.  After twelve years his elementary masterwork, which he started at age five when he was first diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, still rests against the wall of his room.

“My stickers remind me of my treatment,” says Jehan in his scholarship essay. “Both the good and bad parts. I was relatively young when I was diagnosed with cancer. Despite this, the gravity of the situation was not lost on me. The sinking feeling is still recallable to this day. Many of the days during chemotherapy are a blur, full of unpleasant and cold feelings. But the ordeal was hard not only because of the physical discomfort that I endured but also the stress that it put on my family. Even with these challenges, I was able to weather the storm. In doing so, I’ve learned just how important perseverance and support structures are. If it were not for the mutual reassurance between my family and me, treatment would have been far less manageable. The path of treatment was long and arduous, but there were positive, memorable times. Reading books about nature, watching old videos, and playing Othello with my father were some ways I passed the time in the hospital. I learned a lot about the world, nature, and space from my outpatient seat. My curiosity was in full bloom, as I desired to know as much about science as I could. When I look at my old headboard, I try to only remember the positive parts of my treatment.”

Now in remission for the past 10 years, Jehan’s 

curiosity has led him to pursue an undergraduate degree in data science at UC Berkeley.  “This discipline will offer ways for me to put my long-standing passion for mathematics to use concretely ,” wrote Jehan. “College is only the  first step in pursuing my ultimate dream. I want to be able to help others, whether it be through providing financial aid, creating new programs, or providing direct help.”