If you want to be a chemist, my suggestion is to have strong math skills. You want to practice really hard to master algebra and calculus. There are many different types of chemistry, but in most of them having great math skills will be extremely helpful. Once you get to university, you can worry about learning the chemistry part. Up until university, make sure you practice your mathematics! This is true of most science, not just chemistry!

Getting a bachelor's degree in Chemistry is the qualification to officially become a chemist. In high school you can prepare for that by taking science classes--including Physics and Bio, there is significant overlap--and math. If you can, AP/IB Chem, AP/IP Physics C, and AP/IB Calculus are very difficult but very worth it. There are also some 4-week summer programs at UCSB (and scholarships for them) to get high school students involved in actively doing science. If you really want to pursue Chemistry, though, the best thing you can do is keep good grades in high school and look at a degree in Chemistry. Also, you may want to consider Chemical Engineering. There is a lot of overlap between the two fields, and depending on what you want to do, the additional focuses of engineering may be useful (and cool). (Full disclosure: I am a Chemical Engineer.)

t's great that you've taken an interest in chemistry! If you want to become a chemist, you should at least earn a bachelor's degree in chemistry. Depending on what kind of career you would like to pursue, you might want to consider also getting a more advanced degree, such as a master's or a PhD.

For now, I would suggest building a strong foundation in math and related fields of science. Because chemistry in general is a physical science, its language is often in the form mathematics. Be comfortable with algebra, statistics, and recognizing patterns. It is also important to be able to think critically and logically for solving problems. Furthermore, in addition to developing technical skills, you should work on your "soft" skills; communicating your science is as important as doing it. Organization is important in any technical field, as is meticulousness. And lastly, love what you do, and do what you love. It is very cliche, but I cannot stress that enough!