Coming in contact with something he was allergic to, Manit Patel was running around in an unfamiliar city with no time to spare.

“I’m allergic to nuts, so I barely see what they look like. A couple of weeks ago at my uncle’s wedding, I ate an Indian thing that I thought had chickpeas in it, but turned out to be a peanut without a shell,” Patel said. “With my phone dead, and me being lost in downtown Chicago, I ran around for fifteen minutes until I found a pharmacy, and then took some Benadryl. I ended up puking an hour and a half later, and waking up in five hours to drive to a water polo tournament two and a half hours away.”

Dangerous experiences like this keep Patel aware at all times. Many people may view Manit as kin, easy-going and aware, but some of his attributes he feels go unappreciated,

“Honestly, I feel like my dedication to everything I do is underappreciated,” Patel said.

Although Manit feels like his life choices have put him in a good position, he reflects on moments that could’ve gone better, 

“If I could go back and change one moment in my life, there isn’t one specific thing I would’ve changed, but I would’ve tried to take more chances instead of hesitating,” Patel said.

Patel, now a senior at Huron, has a good impression of the school,

“My favorite thing about Huron is probably the diversity, and how there are so many people who can do so many different things. We have division one athletes, and Ivy League scholars, and anything in between, which is super crazy,” Patel said. 

When people ask Patel what he wants to major in he says journalism. What most people don’t know is where this passion for writing came from.

“Joining newspaper, it’s super small considering the student population, but it’s an amazing experience,” Patel said. “OC really cares about the well being of the students, and it’s a good class.”