A prominent leader and bright light within the Metuchen High School community, Swetangeli Patel is a remarkable role model and stand-out senior. She’s an active member of MHS as a leader of numerous clubs and organizations, and she constantly works to make the school a better place.
“As a natural-born leader, Swetangeli is one of the most driven and inspiring people I know. Beautiful inside and out, she never fails to light up a room and brighten my day.” - Juliana Johnston
One of Sweta’s most impressive accomplishments is creating the ASL club. In her sophomore year, Sweta and her friends proposed a creative way to raise awareness for the deaf community and introduce our town to a language less typically seen. As ASL is not offered as an MHS course, they believed it was important to start a non-vocal language club for those who are hard of hearing, and they worked with Ms. Baird to found the ASL club. Sweta and her friends were early interested in the language, but their understanding and knowledge progressed as they watched instructional videos and learned alongside their club members. During her interview, Sweta expressed how her favorite part of the ASL club is interacting with students from different grades and showing what they’ve learned using different games. Currently, the ASL club is working on creating and selling merch in the hopes of raising money for future club endeavors such as field trips or guest speakers.
Motivated by her close relationship with Madame Girin, Sweta is also a leader of MHS’s French Club, which works to engage students in French culture by exposing them to the language in a social, nonacademic way. At the French Club, students observe interactions in French by watching movies and listening to the conversations of different characters. Besides seeing French films, Sweta’s favorite activities include writing letters to Santa and listening to songs from Manie Musicale. She particularly loves the way Madame Girin runs the club, as Madame works to create a welcoming and stress-free environment that encourages students from different grades to interact. Recently, Sweta organized a field trip to Princeton, where the French Club watched a live comedy by Georges Feydeau, “Le Dindon.”
“Sweta is an amazing human being overall. She genuinely lights up a room just by walking in and always makes my day better. She’s incredibly smart, pretty, and kind. She is one of the most selfless people I have ever met and is an amazing friend.” - Hannah Soden
In addition to leading the ASL Club and French Club, Sweta is the head of merchandise for Breaking the Chain (BTCTE). She organizes and leads fundraising events, working in close contact with the Public Relations committee. Her passion for the organization’s cause and desire to gain leadership experience is what motivated her to join the club, as Sweta believed that being a member of Breaking the Chain is a great experience for learning how to take responsibility and initiative. She continually showed interest in the program, allowing her to rise to leadership and achieve her current position. One of Sweta’s favorite BTCTE activities is their puppet shows at the local kindergarten, where she can interact with the younger students. Another favorite is the Annual Summer Kickoff, which in 2024, for the first time, will be held at the Metuchen Municipal Pool to add another exciting element to the day. Sweta is constantly proposing innovative ideas to raise money and engage the community. Looking forward, she’s organizing the annual BTCTE dinner, a formal dinner for the organization’s highest donors and a way for BTCTE to spread information about themselves and their sponsorship program.
Another prominent leadership role is Sweta’s position as a yearbook editor. She had been a part of the yearbook in fourth grade, which she loved, and always planned on continuing this through high school. Currently, Sweta works to collect pictures, execute creative ideas, and compose different pages. One of her favorite parts of the yearbook is creating and organizing the Senior Superlatives.
A further example of Sweta’s dedication to the school is her participation in the student council, where she helps officers organize grade affairs and brainstorm ideas for different events. She was motivated to join by her desire to become more involved with student-based activities, and her absolute favorite event is Battle of the Classes! Sweta loves both dressing up for Spirit Week and participating in the events themselves.
“Sweta is one of the kindest and most giving people I know! She cares so deeply about those around her and is always willing to help anyone in need. Sweta’s energy is contagious, it is such a joy to know her!” - Marina Krumins-Beens
The renaissance woman she is, Sweta is not only an outstanding student and leader of numerous ground-breaking clubs, but she’s also a remarkable athlete and key member of the MHS Varsity Swim Team. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, in her sophomore year, Sweta decided to join the swim team at MHS. She had been a part of MMP’s summer swim team since 6th grade and wanted to continue this passion through high school. Sweta truly loves the swim team’s positive and supportive environment, as everyone works together and empowers one another to achieve their goals. She fondly describes an instance of camaraderie and kindness, exemplifying the strong bonds and connections of her team, by setting the scene of a cold, miserable January morning. Sweta describes the generosity and kindness of their coach, Mr. Thomas, who surprised her and her teammates with fresh, warm bagels, brightening their moods and creating core memories. On the team, Sweta’s specialties are the 200 IM and her favorite, the 100 breaststroke. In her interview, she passionately expressed how she “love[s] the 100 breaststroke with her whole heart,” the joy, the thrill of it all, and how this event will forever be her favorite. Sweta loves the group excitement of scoring a win, specifically, the environment of GMC meets. She proudly tells the story of last year’s championship, where the scoreboard was extremely close and the last event, Sweta’s breaststroke specialty, was the ultimate reason why her team scored their win. Sweta’s passion and care for her teammates truly shines through, exemplifying her dedication, loyalty, and positivity.
“My favorite chef and baker! Sweta is truly the kindest person anyone will ever meet. She always goes out of her way to make sure everyone is happy. I’m so incredibly lucky to call her my friend. Yay Sweta!” - Mary McGrath
Outside of school, Sweta loves to cook and bake, finding it an amazing way to release stress. She loves trying new recipes, creating different treats, and gifting her creations to her friends, teachers, and family. Sweta had grown up in the kitchen, as her family valued the involvement of her and her sister in their meal preparations. This helped develop Sweta’s culinary interests, leading her to eventually experiment with recipes of her own. Sweta describes how sometimes people need a pick-me-up, a little “sweet treat.” Her favorite things to make are different types of cookies and bars, loving “anything you can put in a box and give to people.” She makes these dessert boxes for special occasions and is currently planning a special, end-of-year surprise for her close friends and teachers, exemplifying her kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity.
Another of Sweta’s many interests is dance, as she’s been dancing for 16 years, her first class at barely 2 years old. Dancing with Metuchen Dance Centre, Sweta currently takes ballet and jazz classes, but her favorite styles are Latin jazz and lyrical. She loves how through dance you’re able to express yourself, perform on stage, and form a new family. Sweta emphasizes how when you dance with someone, you form a special bond and close connection that can be recreated nowhere else.
“It has been my pleasure to have Sweta in class for 2 years in a row now, and she's an excellent student, but an even better person - thoughtful, empathetic, and funny. She may be voted ‘most likely to brighten your day’ - and it's well deserved - but don't mess with Sweta, she has an edge. She knows Nevermind is a great album, one of her favorite movies is Pulp Fiction (one of my faves, as well), and her favorite Starburst is the OG STRAWBERRY pink - don't even try to give her one of those pink watermelon or tropical flavors, she has no tolerance for any such malarkey. Best of luck next year, Sweta!!” - Mr. Murray.
One of Sweta’s favorite parts of Metuchen High School is the ability to form close student-teacher relationships. This is one of the many benefits of attending a small school, as low-class sizes allow students to individually connect with their teachers. She describes how all of her teachers are very approachable and truly care about their students, often holding hours for extra help and going above and beyond in their efforts. When asked about her most impactful teachers, Sweta responds, “Honestly everybody!” She names Madame Girin, Mr. Murray, and Mr. Levy specifically, but Sweta simply can’t choose and also gives a shout-out to Mr. Ulmer, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Schlavis, and Mr. Giddes. She explains how each teacher is very different individually, but they all allow her to express herself and are easy to connect with.
Describing her passions, Sweta notes her many interests, specifically baking, cooking, reading, listening to music, swimming, and dancing. In addition, she mentions her passion for the causes of period poverty and women’s rights. When asked about her role models, Sweta does mention Emma Watson, but she emphasizes the people around her: her friends and teachers. She admires what her community stands for and is inspired by the way her teachers help and support their students. Sweta emphasizes the importance of morals, explaining how she takes friends heavily on what they agree with and if they’re a good person: “If I’m your friend, I agree with what you believe in.”
Looking towards the future, Sweta has a bright path ahead of her with a new commitment to Syracuse. While researching colleges, Sweta loved everything Syracuse had to offer, specifically their campus size, campus environment, and student life. Attending the tour truly “sealed the deal” for her, leading her to commit and dedicate the next four years of her life to this university. Another key draw of Syracuse was its incredible business school, as Sweta plans to major in Business. She wanted to pursue a career where she was able to work with people and integrate her leadership skills. Sweta also felt that business was a broad area that offered her opportunities to refine her focus and figure out where her interests and talents lie.
Sweta is a remarkable student and member of the Metuchen High School community whose kindness and dedication inspire us all. By displaying loyalty, generosity, and commitment, Sweta was able to form meaningful connections with her friends and teachers, and then rise to leadership positions. She truly makes MHS a better place to be, constantly working to promote change and positively impact the school. Swetangeli Patel has an incredibly bright future ahead of her, and Metuchen High School is proud to be a part of her journey.
Comments