UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College has established the Neil C. Patel Memorial Changemaker Honors Scholarship to honor the Schreyer Scholar who died from COVID-19 earlier this year. The scholarship will serve as a tribute to Neil Patel’s memory and encourage students who share his commitment to family, community, education and opportunity.
“When Neil passed away, we lost a member of the Schreyer family,” said Schreyer Honors College Dean Patrick Mather. “Neil impacted so many of his fellow students during his years on our campus. Through this scholarship, we can ensure that he continues to inspire and support future generations of students as well.”
Patel was a 2019 graduate of Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In high school, Patel played four musical instruments, performed in multiple choirs and theater programs, organized local mini-THON events, was a student government leader, and served as catcher on his American Legion baseball team. At Penn State, he continued to achieve in the classroom and across campus. A finance major in the Smeal College of Business, he participated in the college’s Sapphire Leadership Program and Alpha Kappa Psi. Patel also volunteered on the THON finance committee.
“Giving back was such a theme to Neil’s life,” said his mother, Hema Patel. “He wanted to make an impact on the world, be a changemaker.”
“Life is meant to be lived with others,” said Neil’s father, Chet Patel. “From the time Neil was born, he was surrounded by family and friends who believed in him. He fed off the support, and he paid it forward by making time for his community. It didn’t matter if he was rushed or busy, he was always present in the moment.”
The scholarship funds will be awarded to Schreyer Honors College students who epitomize Patel’s “changemaker” ideology, a word first identified by his friends.
“’Changemaker’ is an excellent word to sum up Neil,” said Nick Marino, Patel's longtime friend. “Neil created lasting change in so many ways — through his musical talent, his linguistic genius, and his confidence to grab an audience and hold onto it. But in my opinion, Neil’s most significant impact was all the little changes he made in each of us, the impressions he left on every person he met. Neil not only inspired you to be better — he also helped you achieve it. Grand change doesn't always require grand plans, and Neil was a changemaker in his own way. One moment, one smile, and one ‘hi’ at a time. I’m sure recipients of the Neil C. Patel Memorial Changemaker Honors Scholarship will make change in their own way, too, just like Neil.”
Alumni, friends and community members are encouraged to honor Patel's legacy and support future generations of changemakers by making a gift to the Neil C. Patel Memorial Changemaker Honors Scholarship. Support for the endowment will provide annual awards for Schreyer Scholars who exemplify Patel's dedication to family and community, his passion for education and his desire to seize opportunities for growth and influence.
“We are so thankful that Penn State has created this scholarship, and to everyone who has given or will give to invest in Penn State students,” said Chet Patel. “I hope recipients of this award are inspired by the way Neil lived his life. Be there for people. Make a difference. And live life with grit. It’s okay to fail. You just have to get up again, take responsibility and keep working.”
In addition to encouraging support for the scholarship, the Patels are establishing the NEILSTRONG Foundation to promote four pillars that reflect Neil's strengths: family, community, education and opportunity.
“We can’t measure Neil’s life in the time he spent on this earth,” said Nita Patel, Neil’s aunt and president of the NEILSTRONG Foundation. “Anyone who knew Neil knows that no amount of time you spent with him was enough. Instead, I measure his life by the positive ripples he cast. Through this scholarship, through our foundation, and through all the people we’re able to support — the ripples will go even farther than we can see.”
Giving to support the Neil C. Patel Memorial Changemaker Honors Scholarship will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hard-working students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.