By: Margo Rawlings

Sports Editor

Halfway through his first year of high school, freshman Mehul Patel adds a unique and charismatic energy to Los Gatos High School’s atmosphere. Whether in the classroom, or in the gym working on his volleyball and badminton skills, Patel shines, fully immersing himself regardless of the task at hand. 

After finishing his first semester, Patel continues to excel academically. He is currently enrolled in Honors Trigonometry/Pre Calculus, a predominantly junior-filled class, as well as Honors Biology and Honors English. Even while taking on a challenge, Patel finds success due to his strong work ethic and interest in the subjects. In addition to academics, Patel decided to branch out, exploring art through his Art I class. 

When he’s not working hard in his main courses, Patel is an active member of the LGHS Speech and Debate Club. The Speech and Debate Club attends various competitions throughout the year for which they prepare for during their bi-weekly club meetings. He noted that “even though we work on our assigned topics independently, we’re still having a conversation, which fosters a sense of community within the club.” Currently, his favorite topic that he has debated is whether caffeine is good for you, and if it should be considered a drug. Playing the devil’s advocate, he highlighted that even with its side effects, many people still drink it, and it does not hold the same connotation as other well known drugs. 

Patel also plays two club sports: volleyball and badminton. He has been playing both sports for three years now, and plans to try out for the Los Gatos Badminton Team next spring. Patel mentioned, “it’s been really fun learning how to play. Even though I like playing both singles and doubles, I prefer doubles.” 

Adding on to his impressive set of extracurriculars, Patel likes to dedicate his time to volunteering with kids. For the past two years, Patel has volunteered at Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) in Fremont. He mostly helps tutor kids in math and English, but occasionally spends time with them outside, playing fun games and enjoying nature. 

Although the jump between middle school and high school can be challenging, Patel has persevered. He explained, “since middle school is a lot smaller than high school, everything feels more close knit. In high school people tend to keep to themselves more, especially since the school is so much bigger.” He continued, “The workload is also very different. It feels like there’s at least a couple assignments for each class every day, which really adds up since we have six classes.” 

Watch out for this freshman as he continues to leave his mark on the Los Gatos community over the next four years!