Shaivya Patel receives the John H. Crowder Service award

For over three decades, John H. Crowder dedicated his life to supporting the youth of Union County. In honor of his enduring contributions and lasting impact, the Union County Board of Education presented the John H. Crowder Service Award for June to a Marvin Ridge High School senior.

Shaivya Patel strengthens his school and community while encouraging others to get involved. As president of the Marvin Ridge High School Beta Club, he has led service initiatives and schoolwide events impacting hundreds of students and families.

He organized and oversaw the construction and operation of a large-scale Fall Festival haunted maze, coordinating more than 40 student volunteers to help bring the school community together. He also helped lead the Fall Festival photo booth, coordinated Beta Club Lip Sync Battle logistics and organized donation drives supporting Walter Bickett Preschool students and local families in need during the holiday season.

His service extends beyond school. He organized and packaged more than 200 Operation Christmas Child gift boxes and has volunteered in local nursing homes and community outreach projects.

In addition to volunteer work, Shaivya serves on the Union County Public Schools Superintendent’s Advisory Council, representing more than 2,100 students from his school and sharing student perspectives on district initiatives and experiences.

He has also created opportunities for others by founding Illuminateus.APP, a peer tutoring platform connecting students to academic support and educational resources.

Shaivya plans to attend Duke University to study computer science and mechanical engineering.