Khush Patel’s hands were shaking and sweaty as he approached the podium. He had a rugged teal gown on along with a teal cap. He stood in front of hundreds of people at the Cure Insurance Arena for the 2023 Bucks County Technical High School graduation to give his valedictorian speech.
Patel had doubts. He was unsure about the speech. “Is anyone going to like it?” he thought.
He tweaked his speech up to the moment he had gone up to the podium. He could feel the immense amount of pressure on him. He knew that he was representing his class and his family.
“Don’t mess up this speech. Don’t forget the changes you made,” he told himself. As an airhorn blared in the crowd and he started his speech, his nervous thoughts faded away. He went into autopilot and his words echoed throughout the arena until he reached the moment where the sound of applause would take over for him.
Khush Patel, 19, is currently majoring in electrical engineering at Drexel University where he currently pays about $18,225 for the year, which includes on-campus housing. According to the Drexel website, the tuition and on-campus housing costs for the 2023-2024 academic year are about $58,293 and $10,950 for a total of $69,493 meaning that Patel pays about $51,018 less than the usual rate for the 2023-2024 academic year.
In an age where many older generations say that Gen Z is soft and won’t be able to make it as adults, Khush Patel is thriving.
Patel is facing pressure coming from all directions. The pressure of going to a college as expensive as Drexel. The pressure he puts on himself to succeed and to do the best he can possibly do. His parents and family want him to succeed and do not expect any grade lower than A. As the valedictorian of his high school, he tries to live up to the expectation that he will succeed at Drexel.
Just like others, he needs to de-stress. He spends his free time playing his guitar, hanging out with his friends, and having a fun time on video games.
Patel originally grew up in Northeast Philadelphia where he attended a private school, Maternity Blessed Virgin Mary School. When he was 7, his mother fell ill and was in a coma for about a year. He said it was a “hectic time” and that his grandmother was the person who was raising him at that time.
“It was not a standard child with two parents.” He adds, “When somebody ever mentioned their mom, I’d think ‘Oh that’s cool.’”
Patel moved to Trevose when he was 10 and transferred to Belmont Hills Elementary School, a move that he said he “really liked” because he didn’t enjoy going to private school.
“I was there [Maternity Blessed Virgin Mary School] on scholarship and there were a lot of wealthy people. Public school had more variety.”
When Patel made his way to BCTHS, he was convinced that he needed to have the best grades.
“I was always in the mindset of ‘I got to have the best grades.’ In sophomore and junior year, when I was in second or third, I thought there were ways I should be improving. I always tried my best until I got there.”
He continues, “If there is room to improve, why wouldn’t you go for it? There’s no point in settling for second or third best.”
Patel mentions that he does not come from a wealthy background. “Getting the best grades would really help me for college. It did help me with Drexel. I got a couple of scholarships, good grants from Drexel, and a lot of it got paid, so I can actually afford to because no one can afford to go to Drexel without decent financial aid.”
Patel noted that in his senior year, he was motivated, but became complacent with his position at rank no. 1. He didn’t study much, making his start at Drexel a little tough to get used to because he had to study for everything now.
Patel cited one of his Applied Engineering Technology program teachers, Mr. Hatrock, as the person who helped push him towards electrical engineering. During Mr. Hatrock’s class, Patel would work on solar panels that BCTHS uses for power.
Patel comments on the role his family had in his success, “They always pushed to have the best grade possible. A B was basically failure. You gotta have an A. I’ve gotten talkings to because I’ve gotten a B on my report card before. I always went for an A and if it wasn’t an A, it always felt bad, like I was failing.”
“My parents have always been a good influence on me, especially my dad, who gives me helpful advice and sets me on the right path.” He adds, “I try to honor the sacrifices they made for me. I try to do what they expect of me and make them proud.”
Patel says that his family is very proud of him and that his mother “called everyone and sent every family member the valedictorian speech video.”
Patel hopes to make an impact as an electrical engineer with ambitions to work at NASA and try to “push boundaries” in his field.