Dev Patel is pictured with the mural he painted in his math classroom (left), a continents picture he is currently working on (center), and his “Welcome” in many languages (right).
Dev Patel is a busy guy. He moved from India to America two and one-half years ago. After a stint in Florida, he came to Westerville Central High School where, as a junior, he is making his mark – literally. The word has gotten out that among his many talents, Patel can paint murals. Good ones. As a result, teachers are clamoring to get him into their classrooms to beautify some of their mind-numbing white walls.
It all began last year when ESL teacher Deborah Jones decided she would like to have a welcome mural, in many different languages, behind her desk. She chose the paint and Patel, who had never before created a mural, put his artistic spin on the design. The results were stunning, and Jones was impressed with both the outcome and Patel’s dedication to bringing the idea to fruition. Other teachers noticed and wanted murals for their classrooms as well. Patel has since painted a math mural, is currently working on a world map, and there have been talks about painting colorful country flags on the walls of the ESL classrooms at Central. While he enjoys painting, Patel has other plans for his future. He wants to become a computer engineer.