SANTA PAULA : 8th-Grader Wins Poster Competition

Kim Ikeda’s teachers have always known she was an extraordinary artist, and the Santa Paula eighth-grader proved it recently by winning the 1992 Ventura County Science Fair poster contest.

Kim’s poster showing children running in and out of a desktop computer was chosen over nearly 100 entries by students countywide, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Kim’s artwork will be reprinted on science fair posters being distributed to schools countywide.

“This is the biggest contest I’ve ever won because people from such a large area are going to see it,” said the 12-year-old honor student at Briggs Elementary School. It took her about a month to draw the poster, she said.

“This is a big accomplishment because usually seniors win the contest,” said Sara Whalen-Evans, Kim’s teacher. “We’re really proud of her.”

Kim, who is also student body president, has studied art with local artists and teachers in Santa Paula, Whalen-Evans said. She has consistently won awards for her artwork in such competitions as the Santa Paula Society of the Arts Youth Art Show and Ventura County PTA Reflections, she said.

Kim attributed her artistic talent to the guidance of Briggs art teacher Kathy Simpson. “She really helped me a lot last summer, especially learning more about drawing with pen and ink,” Kim said.

Kim “is an exceptional student,” Simpson said. “She’s very motivated and multitalented. Whatever she goes on to do in life, she’s going to do very well.”

This was the third time Kim has entered the science fair contest, Kim said. Last year she came in second, she said. “I enter the contest just to enter,” she said. “I like to have people and experts look at my work.”

When asked about her future, Kim said, “I want to keep doing art when I get older, but I’m more interested in movies. I want to get into animation. I would like to draw cartoons for Warner Brothers. I love their cartoons.”

The science fair will take place at the County Fairgrounds from April 21 to 23. The students’ experiments and projects will be open to the public on April 23.