Bolingbrook Grad Gives Back to School, Hometown

Submitted by Valley View School District:

Bolingbrook High School Class of 2010 graduate Ravish Patel knows what he wants and is well on his way to accomplishing his goal.

Patel, who is interning this summer in the office of Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, stopped by Tibbott Elementary School last week to serve as a guest reader at Library Media Center Director Erin Preder’s Summer Library Program before he headed to the University of Iowa in pursuit of a Master’s of Public Health Degree in epidemiology.

The lifelong Valley View School District 365U resident hopes to parlay his Master’s with a University of Illinois Bachelor’s Degree in molecular biology (with a minor in international relations and political science) into a diplomatic or policy-level career with the United Nations.

While at BHS, the lifelong Valley View School District 365U resident was a member of Marching Band, the orchestra, Scholastic Bowl and National Honor Society.

Patel offered some advice to incoming high school freshmen: “Always focus on the long term goal and speak up against what you think may simply not be right.”

Photo: Ravish Patel, who graduated from Bolingbrook High School four years ago, chats with his former 2nd grade teacher, Erin Preder, who is now Library Media Center Director at Tibbott Elementary School.