life skills
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life skills
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Diven Patel
resources
age: 25
hometown: Millbrook, Alabama
career: Entrepreneur/Owner of Kumon
scholarships
of Montgomery
parent to parent
education:
Graduated from LAMP (Lanier Academy
Magnet Program) class of 2006; attended The
University of Alabama at Birmingham on
scholarship and graduated in 2010.
ADVICE
TO PARENTS
diven
patel
beyond boundaries
10
)
my mu st
rea d
lages of India, you constantly hear stories
of the slum life. Getting something as simple
as a pair of sandals was like receiving an iPad.
They weren’t educated on how to live and make
it in America, but they learned how to cope
and succeed with hard work and perseverance.
This is cemented in my mind and is a reminder
of what can be achieved.
paying back:
My parents always told me the reason they
came to America was to provide me with more
opportunity. So, imagine how they felt when I
failed the first grade. They weren’t in the position to really help me because they hadn’t mastered English yet. So they budgeted the time
and money to find me the support I needed.
I went from making straight F’s to making
straight A’s. They succeeded in getting me back
on track with school. In the end, I graduated
high school with a scholarship to attend college. I returned their investment in me.
picking friends:
v
One of the greatest joys of being an
entrepreneur is there is no boundary
to what I can do. My passion to help
people led me to become a Kumon
instructor. My passion to learn and
challenge myself could lead to morelike becoming mayor of Montgomery,
creating my own cartoon series,
opening an overseas medical
company, revolutionizing the hotel
industry or starting a sports agency.
favorite
things
)
just getting started
v
Image by Kim Box Photography
Diven’s parents came to America
from India and found success here.
Inspired by their hard work,
he’s doing the same as owner
of and instructor at Kumon
When I was entering high school,
Math & Reading Center of
I wanted to attend one school, and my
Montgomery, an afterparents wanted m H