Addison Trail names February recipient of 88’s Best recognition

Left: Pictured is Addison Trail senior Jina Patel, who has been named as the school's February recipient of 88’s Best recognition for her outstanding service work. Right: Patel (pictured at left in the middle row, with her family) is recognized as Addison Trail's February recipient of 88’s Best recognition during the District 88 Board of Education meeting on Feb. 22.

Jina Patel has been named as Addison Trail’s February recipient of 88’s Best recognition for her outstanding service work. Patel, a senior, was recognized during the Feb. 22 District 88 Board of Education meeting. To listen to her 88’s Best presentation, click the audio file above.

Patel is a student who is on everyone’s radar at Addison Trail – including with her peers – for all of the amazing things she continues to accomplish. Senior Huda Siddiqui recently requested to meet with administrators to let them know how amazing Patel is and to nominate her for the 88’s Best award.

Service work:
Patel has been dedicated to service since she stepped foot inside the doors of Addison Trail, and she has continued on that path all four years of her high school career.

  • Patel is a District Lieutenant Governor for the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District of Key Club International, overseeing Key Clubs from Addison Trail, Willowbrook, Glenbard East, Downers Grove South and York high schools.

  • Patel’s favorite service projects include Feed My Starving Children; blessing bags filled with personal care items, snacks and kindness notes to help those in need; and Paws for a Cause (an animal-friendly adoption fair).

  • Breaking the cycle of poverty is a cause close to Patel’s heart – her family is from India, and she has seen firsthand the impact poverty can have on children. She is truly dedicated to making sure poverty and hunger do not get in the way of a child’s education. Patel said she draws inspiration from her grandmother, who never learned how to read or write, and she wants to make her grandmother and her parents very proud by performing the best she can.

Involvement at Addison Trail:

  • National Honor Society (where she serves as Co-President)
  • International Club
  • International Dance Show (where she serves as a dance leader)
  • Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series (a program to prepare students to recognize and learn from the diversity around them)
  • Student Council
  • Class Board
  • AT News Channel

Academic achievements:

  • Completed 13 Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level courses (earned As in all of them)

  • Completed nine honors courses (earned As in all of them)

Future plans:
After high school, Patel plans to attend college and pursue a career as a doctor. Her top choices include Northwestern University, Washington University and University of Michigan. By choosing medicine as her career, Patel is able to blend her favorite things – her love of science and her love of service.

Staff member comments:
“I have had the pleasure of not only working with Patel in Leadership Training as a student last year, but also as the Vice President of National Honor Society and a leader on the district’s Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series. Patel is a class act and a leader in and out of the classroom. Her dedication to her school and the students is evident in all that she engages in after the final bell rings. I am honored to be able to work beside her in these extracurricular areas.”

- Rob Schader, Addison Trail Physical Education Department Head and National Honor Society sponsor

“Patel is amazing! What a bright, compassionate, focused young woman. She was a joy to have in AP Physics and the National Honor Society. Patel is a role model for her peers and the adults in her life. Truly a brilliant young woman.”

- Kira Bonk, Addison Trail science teacher

“I am thrilled Patel is being honored for her amazing legacy of service throughout her years at Addison Trail. As a student in AP Biology last year, Patel’s keen intellect and incredible work ethic became apparent from the start. I could always count on her meaningful contributions to class discussions to move us forward. When I started to grasp the full scope of her involvement in extracurriculars and the active leadership roles she held, I often wondered when she slept! Her selfless dedication to making our school a place where all students feel welcome will be her legacy long after she graduates. I stand in awe of all she has accomplished already, and I can't wait to see how her future unfolds. Congratulations, Jina, and thank you for your leadership and service. It was an honor to be one of your teachers.”

- Carolyn Erwin, Addison Trail science teacher

“Patel’s compassion for humanity is a driving force in everything she does. I know Patel through her visits to the writing center, and she is not only talented in service, but equally gifted in the arts and science, too. Through scholarship and college admission essay drafts, I have learned so much about Patel’s family, passions, strengths, vulnerabilities, goals, kindness and intelligence – how they define her and her place in this world. One thing is for certain: Patel will leave a lasting mark on the world of medicine through her endeavors – not only as an empathetic physician, but through her altruistic service to mankind. I will remember Patel by her ambitious and heartfelt words: ‘Through the challenges of life, my purpose of caring for and healing the sick acts as an indestructible motivator.’”

- MaryKathryn Maranowicz, Addison Trail Writing Center Assistant

  • District 88 values the hard work and achievements of students and wants to make sure students are honored and recognized for their accomplishments. The District 88 Board of Education and administration created the 88’s Best award to highlight students’ success. That award recognizes nine Addison Trail and nine Willowbrook students each school year for reaching their personal best in various areas. Recipients are honored during a District 88 Board of Education meeting in one of the following areas: academics, highly improved performance, extracurricular activities, service work or performing arts/electives. They receive an 88’s Best glass sculpture and a certificate to a local restaurant.