VAST Activities: Chess

Hello Everybody!

I’m Seung Baang and I’m from a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado called Montbello.
Anyways, when I was growing up, I was bored sometimes in school. I went to the Montbello library and checked out a chess book because I had seen chess played before but never learned how to play. I taught myself how to play and researched chess and chess strategies and tactics. I found the chess algorithmatic notation helpful in math. So, I made chess pieces out of printing paper I got from school and a board. Sometimes I would play by myself. Then I taught my brother how to play. In middle school, I also played. After middle school, I realized that it’s more of a learning process if one loses. During senior year of high school, I took a college sociology class with Professor Molina. He encouraged us to play chess every morning. So, after a long hiatus of not playing chess, I picked it back up and I helped my peers. The rest is history. I view chess as a learning tool, a part of something bigger. Whether it’s self reflection or about social issues.
Recently, I’ve been playing chess with my mentee Asiatic (AZ). Currently, I’m helping him brush up his technique and logic. Also, my fellow mentor Juanita helps me facilitate chess as an activity every Friday.