Union Seniors of the Month for January Announced
Tiffany Guo and Jay Patel have been named Seniors of the Month for January at Union High School, Guo is the daughter of Fei Guo and Lisa Wu of Broken Arrow. Patel is the son of Satish and Binu Patel of Tulsa.
Guo is active in school as Key Club president, co-president of Mu Alpha Theta, senior officer on National Honor Society, co-president of the Asian-American Club, violinist in orchestra and a member of the varsity academic team. She also volunteers at St. John’s Hospital, at the Dream Center to supervise kids, Asbury United Methodist Church’s Second Saturday events, Bridge of Hope to package food for Oklahoma families, as well as the Commonground Food Pantry. She is a National Merit semi-finalist. Other awards or honors include a Superior Rating for violin solo, violin ensemble from the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Association, a 1-Plus rating for state in violin solo from the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association as well as an OMTA music theory accomplishment.
“One thing I am involved in and am passionate about is community service,” Guo said. “Through Key Club and three years of experience in that organization, I realized how satisfying it was to make an impact on someone’s life by one small act. I love helping others because it not only opens your eyes to appreciating many things you already have but also it allows you to create relationships with strangers.”
Guo calls herself both a leader and team player. “I don’t think there is a black-and-white scenario where you’re strictly only a leader or a team player. Leadership roles in my clubs require me to be a leader for others but I think it is also important to collaborate and understand other members in my clubs. I feel that being only a leader puts me on an unnecessary pedestal and it’s crucial that I am able to communicate effectively through team work with my peers.”
Guo, who said she loves chemistry which has helped her improve her study habits, plans to study medicine and become a pathologist. She hopes to major in chemistry and minor in mathematics – although she is undecided on which college or university she plans to attend. She has already been accepted to a few in-state schools, but she is waiting to hear from others also.
Patel is active in Key Club, Interact, National Honor Society, TUMS, as team captain for Union’s eSports team (Patel serves as team captain on Team A for Overwatch video competitions) and Scottish Skins. He volunteers with St. John’s Hospital, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in Tulsa as well as various community events at Union’s elementary schools.
“I am heavily involved on the Union eSports Team,” Patel said. “If I am not doing school work, you can always find me in front of my computer playing games, especially Overwatch. I’ve been playing for about two years now so it is something I am passionate about. The fact that I can play Overwatch for Union makes me more involved with my team and school.”
Patel, who calls himself a pessimist, believes the role of leadership and team player varies. “I am a team player,” he said. “However, if the situation calls for a leader, I will step up to that position. Being a team player is important to me because it requires supporting other people which is something in which I feel joy.” Clarifying his view of pessimism, he said he calls himself that because he believes in being realistic and truthful to his environment.
Patel said his AB Calculus class with Rebecka Peterson made quite the impact on him, which he called the “epitome of a safe, loving, learning environment.” He said he felt free to ask questions and the experience helped him in his other classes. He now hopes to study physics at the University of Tulsa, and eventually apply for medical school to study anesthetics. He dreams of becoming an anesthesiologist.
