You may have referred to her as “that English girl” or “the foreign exchange student,” but Stella Patel, ‘18, is really just a normal freshman that moved here with her family. Her mother was originally from Dubuque. They moved back this year to spend time with family.

There are quite a few differences between schooling in London and here. For example, while we call it high school here, in London they call it college. Along the same line what we call college, they call  university. When Stella lived in London she went to an all girls school. She explained, “The uniforms were much stricter there. We had to wear plaid skirts, knee high socks, a blazer, and a hat.” The private school she attended was not Catholic; it was a preparatory school.

Patel is involved in extracurricular activities like the Dubuque Academy of Ballet and the Wahlert theater department. In the recent freshman/sophomore play, she held the part of Maxine Mascara. Although Patel likes it at Wahlert, she misses her friends in London and is planning on returning there after high school. “Moving to Dubuque has been  a big change in my life, but finding things to do that remind me of home is making things become more comfortable,” said Stella.