Growing up, George Lane remembers stopping by Temple's food trucks for a bite to eat, seeing the Temple students who resided in his North Philly neighborhood walk back and forth to classes, and being surrounded by Temple alumni during his high school internship at Councilman Isaiah Thomas’ office.  

He always liked the idea of college life, but he wasn't sure if it was for him. Now, he’s the recipient of a Gates Scholarship, the first in his family to attend college, and on track to attend medical school in a few years.  

Lane feels more than ready to jump into his education at Temple. Because the scholarship covers six years of schooling, he plans to finish his nursing degree in four years and use the other two to cover prerequisites for medical school. He’s interested in studying oncology, and his ultimate career goal is to become a physician at Fox Chase Cancer Center. 

The Gates Scholarship, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, is “a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households,” and it supports students all the way through graduate school. From almost 50,000 applicants, only 750 were selected from across the country. 

Lane said he didn't think he could do it if it weren’t for his teacher at the Academy at Palumbo, an academic liberal arts public magnet school in Philadelphia. “Ms. Kay constantly checked in, made sure I had the resources I needed, and guided me through the process,” Lane said. “Without her support and encouragement, I probably wouldn’t have applied. I’m so thankful I did.” 

As a scholarship recipient, Lane was invited to attend the Gates Scholarship Summer Institute, where he met and networked with hundreds of other recipients from across the country. He said that before he arrived at the summit, he was worried about whether or not he would fit in. However, his worries disappeared when he stepped in the door, and he was met with nothing but encouragement, understanding and respect.  

“I felt seen and appreciated for the journey I had taken to get there. Every conversation was meaningful, and the networking happened naturally,” he said. 

Though Lane had been admitted to a variety of institutions including Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Morehouse and Howard, he said deciding on Temple was an easy choice.  

“I always wanted to go to Temple,” he said. “Personally, I feel like out of all the Philly schools, it’s easier to make an impact from Temple, because Temple is already involved in the community.” 

And making an impact on his community is exactly what Lane wants to do. After losing two brothers—one to gun violence and another to desmoplastic sarcoma, a rare form of cancer—he is committed to giving back in their memory.  It’s the reason he plans to pursue nursing and public health and eventually oncology—to find a cure for desmoplastic sarcoma. On top of that, Lane is excited to give back to the university itself. 

“I’m most excited to give back to the Temple community. This university supported and welcomed me long before I officially became a Gates student, and I want to pay that forward. I’m looking forward to being involved on campus, connecting with fellow students and taking advantage of opportunities to grow as both a leader and a learner,” Lane said.  

“More than anything, I’m excited to be part of a campus that already feels like home.”