Chamberlain University awarded a full-ride nursing scholarship to Cincinnati resident Damenika Jacobs at the Aug. 20 opening of its new East Galbraith Road campus.

The scholarship is the first of four Future Healthcare Hero BSN awards the school is offering. Each covers the full cost of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the new location, 5905 E. Galbraith Road, Suite 3000.

Content creator Zachery Dereniowski, known as "MD Motivator" to more than 40 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and other platforms, surprised Jacobs with the award on video at the ribbon cutting, according to a Chamberlain announcement. The same video announced three additional scholarships now available to people seeking to enroll at Chamberlain's Cincinnati campus.

Chamberlain President Amelia Manning framed the awards around a gap she sees in the region's healthcare pipeline.

"Cincinnati has no shortage of amazing talent capable of becoming extraordinary nurses," Manning said at the event. "What has been lacking is access."

The Cincinnati metro area recorded nearly 50,000 healthcare job openings last year, with six open positions for every healthcare graduate in the region, according to Chamberlain, citing the 2026 Covista Care Capacity Monitor. The research combines labor-market data with surveys of healthcare executives and clinicians fielded by Gallup. Covista is Chamberlain's parent company.

The campus is Chamberlain's 25th nationwide. Its first cohort of Cincinnati students began classes Aug. 31. According to the campus website, the program offers a three-year path to a BSN with no application fee. Evening and weekend classes are available.

Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus declared Aug. 20 "Chamberlain University Day" in Hamilton County. Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn and state Rep. Karen Brownlee also spoke at the ribbon cutting, along with Cincinnati Regional Chamber President and CEO Brendon Cull.

Chamberlain and Covista also announced a three-year, $150,000 partnership with The Health Collaborative to bring healthcare career exploration programs to Cincinnati-area middle and high school students at local youth centers.

Prospective scholarship applicants can find details at chamberlain.edu/nursing-school/ohio/cincinnati or call 877-751-5783.