Discover Arunachalam: The Emerging STEM and Computer Scientist Student
Written by Knovva Staff
Arunachalam, or “Arun,” is an 11th-grade student with a solid foundation in computer programming, problem-solving, and data analysis.
Arun, who lives in a suburb near San Francisco, grew up in the heart of the tech industry. Fittingly enough, he has a natural propensity for computer science.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at Arun’s background and what prompted his interest in these scientific and mathematical pursuits.
Learning Languages to Code the Future
According to Arun, life is a journey filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and connection. While growing up in the heart of California around the booming tech capital of the United States, he enjoyed learning about computers at a young age.
He wants to cultivate his childhood interest in computer science into a professional career in technology. He enjoys exploring the numerous coding languages, including Java, Python, CSS, and HTML and understands the possibility of what they can build, from websites and apps to games and software. His goal is to eventually master all coding languages and use them in a variety of applications.
Extracurriculars Beyond the Computer
In addition to coding, Arun also developed other interests while growing up. During the second grade, he didn’t enjoy drawing or reading like his peers, so Arun’s parents encouraged him to take up chess.
Years later, Arun founded the chess club at his school, and the group has grown to 22 student members.
“Because as I started to play more and more chess, my problem-solving and my patience for the game started improving, and I wanted to share this opportunity with other people at my school.”
However, starting a club goes beyond simply enjoying the game. Arun had to employ leadership skills, organizational management, and some creative thinking when it came to overcoming challenges. Since his school requires a teacher advisor for each club, Arun had to locate a teacher who was not only available to take on the task but would be a good advocate for the club.
After Arun found a suitable advisor, the teacher unfortunately left the school, forcing Arun to start his search again. During this time, he organized and ran the club meetings on his own. By the club’s second year, he recruited another teacher to help with the chess club.
In addition to the chess club, Arun is a member of the math club and DECA, a high school program for students interested in business, entrepreneurship, and marketing. He became interested in DECA because he wanted to learn more about the different aspects of business and the roles computer science plays in related careers.
Certifications to Advance in Coding and Music
These experiences led Arun to pursue other applications of his coding expertise. As a curious and ambitious student, Arun soon became interested in robotics. At a California State University East Bay Tech event, he built a robot with retrieval and communication capabilities.
The robot was connected to an app called MIT App Inventor, and his role during this event was to attract elementary and middle school students. He hoped to encourage their passion for coding by showing them how he created numerous apps in the MIT App Inventor and made games that they could play.
Through DECA and science and technology pursuits, Arun has learned the value of proving his knowledge. He has gone on to earn certifications in coding and music.
He earned a Python certification and is working on completing a Java certification. As a guitar player and a pianist with over a decade of experience in music, he has also earned three ABRCM certifications.
A Master Time Manager Turned High Honors Student
In addition to his coding skills, Arun is also a high honors student with a 4.07 GPA. You might be curious as to how he can manage so many projects, and do all of them above average.
““I don't necessarily think of these achievements as stuff to pile on. I more, I sort of think of it as like a flow. And I do this by trying to be optimistic.”
To say the least, Arun is a master time manager.
He works on staying optimistic and breaks down his tasks from most to least important. Then he begins working on the most time-sensitive projects. This helps him stay balanced, especially during his busiest times like when he is studying for exams. Plus, to reach his goals, he must maintain a high GPA.
Next Steps in Engineering and Beyond
Currently, Arun is working on his application for the engineering program at UCLA for summer 2024 in California. UCLA is one of the most competitive colleges on the West Coast and offers a prestigious program with multiple focus areas, such as civil and aerospace engineering.
To be accepted, he will have to write meaningful supplemental essays and maintain high grades in all of his classes.
After the summer of 2024, Arun will begin his senior year of high school. He plans to continue his coding and extra-curricular activities, maintain good grades, and apply (and hopefully be accepted to) UCLA’s computer science program as an undergraduate.
Arun is certainly a student with big dreams, but he also has the work ethic and motivation to make them all happen.