Arundhati Patel gets to live free for a year in apartment worth $10,850 a month.
By Raif Karerat
An Indian American student from Maryland currently studying abroad at the University of Leeds was recently named Leeds Student Icon 2015 and has been rewarded with a year’s tenancy in a luxury apartment situated in proximity to the school.
Arundhati Patel went head to head with four other Leeds students in the final to be crowned the winner of the competition.
“Aru’s creative flare, hard work and dedication made her stand out from the crowd. From design to dance, Aru loves to use her creativity in all aspects of her life, even her entry form to the competition was a fascinating piece of art,” according to an IconInc press release.
Furthermore, Patel is multilingual and can speak an astounding six different languages. The polyglot believes her cultural background has allowed her to relate and connect with a wide range of people in Leeds, according to a video posted on the Daily Mail.
At Leeds, Patel is a member of the National Hindu Students Forum and Leeds South Asian Society where she is responsible for producing all promotional material and she is also part of the Japanese and Korean societies.
She has also been a course representative for the School of Design since 2012 and is part of the International Youth Scholars Volunteers where she mentors students one-on-one. Outside of the classroom, Aru enjoys dancing competitively, specializing in ballroom and Latin. She was even recently featured as a background dancer in a Bollywood film that was shooting in Leeds, reported Leeds City Magazine.
Naveen Ahmed, Managing Director of the Parklane Group of Companies which runs IconInc, told the magazine their goal with the inaugural iteration of the competition was to shine a spotlight on the remarkable and inspiring young people studying in Leeds.
“The judges were extremely impressed with Aru’s hard work, determination and compassion, as were the Leeds public who came forward in their masses to vote for Aru. We hope she enjoys her year’s free tenancy with IconInc, and look forward to uncovering even more inspiring students in 2016.”
According to IconInc, Aru’s prize, which is worth £7,000 (roughly $10,850) per month, consists of “lavish and beautifully furnished apartments” that include an en-suite bathroom, plush double or king bed, flat screen TV, high-speed Wi-Fi, and utility bills. Meanwhile, IconInc’s “all-inclusive” facilities include an on-site gym with available personal trainers, a cinema room, games zone, complimentary daily breakfast, study rooms, self-service pantry and 24 hour concierge.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Patel is slated to graduate from the university of Leeds in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic and Communications Design. She previously attended Wootton High School in Rockville, Md. from 2004 to 2008 and Syracuse University from 2010 to 2012.