NINAD PATIL likes to put hands into his pockets, greets people with a slight raise of one side of his mouth, and observes everything around from two big, intelligent eyes behind his large-frame glasses. He never seems to be hustling and bustling, rowing the boat of life slowly; super chill. He likes to joke around, revealing his child-like side as he breaks into a big smile. When he gets serious, deep and mature thoughts about education, technology and mind-body theory flow out of his mouth. He is an aspiring education reformer, technology geek, and frequent meditation and yoga practicer pursuing the unification of mind, body and soul.
Ninad Patil did not realize the importance of education until he went to Mumbai for school when he was about 9 years old. His hometown Bhusawal is, according to Patil, “full of gangsters”, and had too few opportunities to satiate Patil’s intellectual pursuits. Patil considers himself lucky because his family cared about his education and thus he got to study at international schools for both middle school and high school, which is an unreachable dream for more than half of Indians. It was in HFS International School in Mumbai that Patil began to show his intellectual potential. He received a valedictorian trophy and five academic awards known as subject topper trophies when he graduated from high school.
Though succeeding in the school, Patil was not satisfied with the education that he was receiving from the international school. “I loved the curriculum, but I hated the school. I just studied for the exams.” said Patil as he reflected on the education in India. Patil was also one of the students who were preparing day and night for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), India’s most prestigious university, but then he realized that the traditional Indian education was not what he wanted.
Patil started to ponder education.
“The test preparation was just memorizing stuff. I just read the questions in the book and went to take the exams.” Patil said. He ended up doing very well on the exam, but he knew this was not the best way to learn.
Fortunately Patil was not imprisoned by the test-oriented education. He started a technology blog with another friend when he was in middle school. He would read all the technology news he could find and then write about latest news, by which he received some regular readers of his blog.
“We were so obsessed [with technology]. I had 80 websites on my RSS Feed and I used to check them everyday; every moment. Any new article that came; I would click on it and check it.” Patil said, describing his passion for technology.
Then in ninth grade, with the same friend Patil started a website company, he was working on the technology side while his friend was managing the business. At first, he was only making websites for the locals, but as his reputation grew, he even received three major offers from big companies. He worked for 48 hours without sleeping, only to meet the deadline for one of his projects.
At the end of ninth grade, Patil stopped running his company because he had to prepare for the exam. Along with stepping back from running his company, Patil also had to put an end to his gymnastics. He could have gone to nationals, since he was the best gymnast in the school, according to his coach. Due to the exams, he quit sports and shifted his focus to academics.
“So actually the exams was ruining my life.” Patil, half-joking, half-seriously, reflected on his life. He is not, however, discouraged on his journey to pursue ideal education. This is part of the reason why Patil came to Minerva--- to pursue a different kind of education, one in which students don’t have to worry about exams all the time and can actually accumulate some knowledge.
“Another reason why I came to Minerva is that Minerva aligns with my vision. I want to create an environment where people can achieve their full potential with their mind and body. So my two missions in life are to change the education system, and to change the Media, because it is education and media that influence people the most.” Said Patil.
Minerva is the start of Patil’s journey towards his lifelong dream, and Patil did all the preparation that he could do for Minerva. Before coming to San Francisco, Patil read every post about Minerva on Google, just to grasp a little bit more information about this dream school that he has been longing to go to. Funnily, he even accidentally discovered the secret website of Minerva Explorer, the student-run newspaper at Minerva. The website was yet to be formally published yet.
“I was obsessed with Minerva. I just wanted information because I am planning to open a school in the future. So many ideas of Minerva are very similar to the school that I plan to open in the future,” said Patil. “And Ben Nelson is doing an awesome thing.”
Coming to San Francisco was the first time Patil left India, and he has certainly encountered “cultural shock”.
“I am not used to the road being this clean! You know all the dustbins that are installed on the street? [When I arrived] I didn’t think of them as dustbins. I thought they are mailboxes! San Francisco is so clean!” Patil said.
“And you guys drink water from the tap!” Patil did not forgot to add his biggest shock.
Despite the “shocks”, Patil has been adjusting to the life in San Francisco very well. Basking under the sunshine, he relaxingly lies on his chair, long legs fully stretched, and playing around with his favorite computer software. He is already comfortable in this new environment, and his journey at Minerva has only just started.
“During the international flight, I was looking outside the window and it was like my perception of the world was expanding when I saw the horizon bending. It was so amazing!” said Patil.
“And I am going to see it again, when we go to so many other countries.”