Form Name: Boards and Commissions
Unique ID: 1394561600
Applicant Information
Name Nila Rajkumar
Are you a Sunnyvale resident? Yes
How long have you lived in
Sunnyvale?
9 years
Description Area Residence Notice:Unless otherwise noted, your principal place of residence must be in Sunnyvale. You must live in Sunnyvale at the time of appointment and at all times during service on a board or commission.
Current Main Residence
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Email
Phone
Are you currently a registered
voter in Sunnyvale?
No
Have you ever served on a City of
Sunnyvale board or commission?
No
Have you attended a meeting of
the City Council, or a board or
commission?
Yes
Briefly describe what you learned
by watching or attending a
meeting of the City Council,
board or commission. What
improvements would you
suggest?
I went to a sustainability meeting where Sunnyvale shared its plans to help the climate. We got to give our opinions on their ideas. I learned that Sunnyvale is planning to do a lot of climate-related projects in the next few years.
My brother and I were the only youths there out of about 20 people. I think it would be good to have more young people at these meetings and explain things in a simpler way so everyone can understand and share ideas.
Have you attended meetings of
the board(s) or commission(s) for
which you are applying?
Yes
How many meetings have you
attended?
1 meeting
Board or Commission Selection
Nila Rajkumar
_____
_____
Date Received:
Voter registration verified:
On:
By:
10/26/25
N/A
SB
I
First Choice Human Relations Commission
Applicant Qualifications
What motivated you to apply for
this board or commission?
I am interested in local government and its impact on the community. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in law or politics. While leading the internship with the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, I learned that many local businesses feel
underrepresented in city decisions. I would like to help solve these problems; joining this commission will give me a chance to solve the problems I have observed.
What skills or attributes can you
bring to this board or
commission?
I bring leadership, community engagement, marketing expertise, and enthusiasm to the human relations commission. I have demonstrated these qualities through my experience as the Founder and Marketing Officer of Kidzrw.com (2020-2021), a blogging platform created for children to read and write informal articles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The site featured kid-safe tools and grew into a national community with over 1,000 articles written by young contributors from across the United States. In my role, I led marketing initiatives, recruited over half of the participating writers, and organized weekly meetings that encouraged collaboration and creativity. We also got the chance to interview Mayor Larry Klein, asking him questions about initiatives he was working on during COVID-19. After this, we wrote multiple articles about the interview.
Additionally, my extensive involvement in Speech and Debate (since 2020) has strengthened my communication, leadership, and perseverance. Competing primarily in congressional debate and declamation, I have earned multiple distinctions, including three bronze medals at Nationals, fourth place at the state level, two golds at the National Online Forensics competition, and top placements at prestigious tournaments such as James Logan, Dempsey Cronin, and Stanford. I have also received the Director's Award three times, an honor reserved for the top 8 percent of debaters at the Debate Institute.
Nila Rajkumar
The primary role of a board or
commission member is to provide
advice to City Council on policy
issues that are within the scope
of the board or commission. What
steps would you take to
effectively exercise this specific
board or commission role?
If I were part of the Human Relations Commission that focuses on equity, access, inclusion, justice, and belonging, I'd want to make sure everyone's voice is heard. To really reach equity, everyone needs to be equally represented. I'd reach out to the community to understand the problems people are facing when it comes to equality. It's also really important to hear from all age groups so that everyone has a chance to share their experiences and ideas.
Right now, the people who usually attend city council meetings are those who are already deeply involved or invested in the city.
But we also need to hear from people who aren't as connected or don't normally show up. If I were on the commission, I'd make sure we're reaching people from all demographics and age groups to participate in these meetings. That way, everyone's opinions are included, and real equity can happen because we're hearing from the whole community, not just a few voices. As a youth in Sunnvale, I will bring new innovative ideas to encourage more people to come to these city hall meetings.
I also hosted the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce internship, where we went door to door to almost every business in
Sunnyvale to survey them and collect social media content. One thing we found was that businesses in Districts 1 and 2 were struggling with getting customers, and their needs were being overlooked. For example, many shared that getting city permits took a really long time. We presented this to city officials, and they were surprised-they didn't even know it was such a big issue.
Because the Chamber and interns were able to bring it to their attention, it opened the door for real improvements to be made.
That experience showed me the power of going directly to the community and listening. The Human Relations Commission could do the same-go door-to-door or reach out directly to people to find out what they need and take that feedback to the council.
That's how we make sure no group is being left out and that everyone's voice is heard.
Nila Rajkumar
Education – List college degrees,
majors and any relevant training
or experience that demonstrates
your ability to effectively serve
on this board or commission.
I am a high school student at The King's Academy, where I strive to contribute to my community through leadership, academic excellence, and service. I currently serve as the President of the Lost in a Poem Club, a book and poetry club that explores literature addressing global and social issues such as racism, war, death, and peace. At each meeting, I lead group discussions analyzing how the selected work conveys its central themes and guide related creative activities. For example, during National Poetry Month, our club read a poetry collection about loss and then wrote original poems reflecting our own experiences.
In addition to this role, I serve as a Student Ambassador, representing my school at various events and helping to welcome new students into our community. I have also maintained placement on the Honor Roll since middle school, reflecting my dedication to academic achievement and consistent effort across all areas of study.
Describe your involvement in
community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations.
As the Program Lead for the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce Internship (since 2025), I have played an active role in fostering community engagement and supporting local businesses. During the summer internship, I initiated, organized, and led a program of over 24 interns who collaborated with local businesses to gather valuable data and create community-focused content.
Together, we produced over 60 videos highlighting local enterprises and spearheaded a project to redesign the Chamber's website. The internship concluded with a formal presentation that I led, sharing our findings, creative work, and the overall impact of the program with the Chamber's board members and prominent community leaders. Building on the success of the summer session, I am also leading the school-year internship, which focuses on developing solutions to the challenges businesses face-such as improving social media presence and hosting support groups to strengthen community ties. Through this role, I have contributed to the growth and connection of Sunnyvale's business community while developing leadership and
collaboration skills.
Description Area The City has a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials and an Attendance Policy (7.2.19), 2 G (II) that appointed members are required to follow.
Do you have any concerns related
to the above code and policy?
No
Nila Rajkumar
Are you willing to accept a
temporary appointment for the
remainder of an unexpired term?
Yes
Board or Commission-Specific Questions
Human Relations Commission
Category One: I'm a Sunnyvale
resident.
Yes
Nila Rajkumar
What do you think are major
equity challenges facing the
Sunnyvale community?
As a youth growing up in Sunnyvale, I believe there are three major equity challenges our community is facing: age, business, and income.
1. Age Equity
As a young person, I see that many youth in Sunnyvale want to help and serve our community, but we don't get enough chances to do that. Right now, there is only one youth serving on a city board or commission. If we want a fair and equal community, we need more youth voices in these spaces. Youth bring new ideas and a different point of view that adults might not think of. When young people are involved in city decisions, it helps us feel valued and more connected to our community.
2. Business Equity
Many businesses, especially in North Sunnyvale, feel
underrepresented and believe the city is not supporting them enough. During my Chamber internship, I visited a gold store where the owners said people were breaking in, stealing, and even sleeping inside the store. They told me they felt the city and police were not doing enough to help them. This shows that some small businesses don't feel protected or heard. Local businesses are a big part of Sunnyvale's community and economy. If they don't feel supported, it can hurt the whole area. The city needs to listen more to these business owners and make sure they feel safe and included.
3. Income Equity
Housing prices in Sunnyvale are very high, which makes it hard for people with lower incomes to stay here. Many families are being pushed out because they can't afford rent or buy a home. If this keeps happening, only wealthy people will be able to live here, and we'll lose the diversity that makes our community strong. Sunnyvale needs to focus on affordable housing and helping families of all income levels stay in the city.
Nila Rajkumar
Describe your experience working
with historically marginalized
communities. How have your
actions benefited these
communities?
One marginalized community I have supported is Elshadai, an orphanage in Chenia, India. At the last block party in my community, I raised money for the children there. The funds were enough to buy school supplies for all 50 kids for the upcoming school year. Every time I visit, I have the chance to talk with the children about their dreams and the goals they hope to achieve in life. We always bring them food and snacks, and over time, my family has built a strong connection with them. Many of the children look up to us and even dream of coming to America to study. Through my actions, I've shown them that they can accomplish their dreams and be successful if they work hard and never give up.
Next year I'll be going to Tecate, Mexico, to help build houses for families in need. While we're there, we'll also get the chance to connect with the families and get to know them. This means a lot because many of them don't have a safe place to live. By helping build them a home, we're not only giving them a place to stay but also showing that people care about them and that they matter.
Demographic Information
Your age
Your gender
Description Area LGBTQIA+ Identity (LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the “+” is an all-inclusive way to include additional terms used to describe one’s gender, romantic, and sexual identities for those who do not identify with heterosexuality or the gender binary.)
LGBTQIA+ Identity
Race or Ethnicity (select all that
apply)
Do you speak a language other
than English?
Household Income
Residence - Are you a
Short Answer
Do you live in a
Nila Rajkumar
Do you have any other identities*
you would like to share with us?
Your Agreement
Description Area IMPORTANT NOTICE – READ BEFORE SIGNING:By selecting both “Yes” and “Submit Form” below I am adding my digital signature to this application. I am also agreeing with the following statements:All statements I have made on this application are true and correct.I authorize the City of Sunnyvale (City) to investigate the accuracy of this information.I release the City from all claims and liabilities arising from such investigation.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application will be grounds for the City to deny my appointment. A false statement discovered later, will be grounds to dismiss me from my appointment at any time.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application could lead to criminal charges. Charges could fall under California Penal Code, Section 115 or other applicable law.
I agree Yes
Your full name Nila Rajkumar
Date Oct 26, 2025
Nila Rajkumar