La Salle’s Kevin Tian’18 Awarded $1000 After Winning Cabrini Literary Guild’s 2016 Creative Writing Contest

Kevin Tian ’18 began writing fiction at the age of 8, when he received The Hobbit as a gift from his uncle. After reading this classic, Kevin started writing short fantasy stories, which he read to his family and friends. His winning submission to the Cabrini Literary Guild’s 2016 Creative Writing Contest was his first “public” story, and what a way to begin his literary career.

At the Guild’s Awards Luncheon on April 14, Kevin was awarded a check for $1,000 and given the honor of having his piece read aloud to the audience by Desiree Zamorano, an award-winning short story writer and Pushcart Prize nominee. Kevin believes his success has its foundation in advice he received from one his mentors: figure out what makes his writing unique and focus on developing that unique quality.

For Kevin, that means mixing standard fantasy elements with real-life details, a strategy evident in his winning piece. Kevin is proud to have represented La Salle at this prestigious competition, and plans to keep writing and competing. Great job, Kevin!

La Salle High School, 3880 East Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 351-8951 or visit www.lasallehs.org.