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A Danville girl is among the contestants on the latest season of a popular Food Network reality competition seeking to highlight the talents of young bakers.
Aria Karayil, a Diablo Vista Middle School student, is set to make her television debut Monday (Jan. 6) when the 13th season of “Kids Baking Championship” kicks off, serving as the latest development in a years-long passion she’s acquired for baking.
That passion started during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, inspired by her mother Neethi Karayil’s work raising money for World Central Kitchen, according to a Dec. 19 press release from the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. She went on to use her baking skills to raise funds for other nonprofits including the San Francisco Aids Lifecycle, the Contra Costa Food Bank, and Paw Works Animal Rescue.
“She is constantly looking for new challenges in baking and continues to support her charities,” Neethi Karayil said in the press release. “We are also grateful that she had this opportunity to showcase her skills on such a large platform.”
“Kids Baking Championship” has been on the air for almost 10 years, making its debut in February 2015 – long before its current young contestants began honing their skills.
Karayil is the second Tri-Valley contestant to appear on the show. Danville resident Ryan Wilson took ninth place in season 2. However, Karayil would be the region’s first winner should she take the title. Other Bay Area competitors from San Francisco and Oakland have also been featured, with Los Altos resident Naiel Chaudry taking the top prize in season 11.
“We are incredibly proud of Aria’s accomplishments and excited to see her showcase her talent on national television,” SRVUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack said in the district’s announcement. “At SRVUSD, we encourage students to discover and pursue their passions, and our educators intentionally encourage this by offering students voice and choice in assignments and opportunities to display knowledge in meaningful ways. We will be rooting for Aria every step of the way.”
“Kids Baking Championship” airs on the Food Network at 8 p.m. Monday. It will also be available to stream on Discovery+ and MAX.
