One of the guiding principles I learned from my parents led through my early schooling and continues to do so today - that's the value of hard work. I didn't wait for opportunities to fall in my lap; instead, I sought out opportunities and made opportunities for myself where they might not have existed before. Throughout high school I challenged myself to take advanced level courses and to remain active through various extracurricular activities [including] Junior Achievement, academic challenge, Spanish club and the Asian American club.

Chirag Patel