Meet the Arunkumars

Posted on May 29, 2019

A strong support network of friends and family opens up a world of possibilities. For the Arunkumar family, the encouragement they have shown one another has clearly made a big difference in many parts of their lives. Parents Michael and Priya have been vital in helping their daughter Nila and son Surya explore their interests. And as Nila has grown, she’s inspired her brother and parents along the way. Nila and her dad Michael sat down to talk about one of her longtime passions: the KLRU KIDS Writers Contest.

Now in its 24th year, the KLRU KIDS Writers Contest is a local competition designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. K-5 kiddos are encouraged to write and illustrate stories then submit them in either English or Spanish. And perhaps the most exciting part for the young students is that every single entry is published online for everyone to see.

“I participated from kinder to third grade.” Nila recalls. And she remembers all her entries: The Three Pirates and The One Captain, Precious Pearl, The Autobiography of an Expander, Making My Mark.”

It all started when Michael and Priya noticed how much Nila enjoyed short stories and art. “She was always interested in writing and she used to draw a lot. Then she used to write stories in small sentences. And then we were watching PBS one day and one of the advertisements said KLRU Writers Contest. She just jumped in and we thought it was a perfect place to actually bring in her pictures and her writing together. She loved it from then on.”

The opportunity to create a story from nothing and put it out into the world is a big task for a little kindergartner, but Nila was up for the challenge. And of course, Mom and Dad were there to cheer her on and assist however they could, including helping to turn her story in. “At that point we had to just put it onto paper and find a way to scan it in,” remembers Michael.

Nila is now a middle schooler who plays tennis and volleyball, is an avid reader and still loves to write. “I’m too old to enter the Writers Contest now, but my brother’s still entering” she explains. This will be the last Writers Contest year for the Arunkumar kids in what’s become a family tradition. And even though this is the end of one chapter, there’s sure to be a next one where the same creative energy will be an asset, as well as the continued loving guidance from their mom and dad.

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Do you know an elementary school student who might be interested in entering the KLRU KIDS Writers Contest? The next round runs from January 1 through March 31, 2020. You can also read all of the past entries from the Arunkumars along with thousands of other children’s stories at klrukidswriterscontest.org.