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| An 8-year-old homeless boy wins the New York Chess Championship |
an 8-year-old boy is walking to his room
carrying an awkward load in his arms, unfazed by screams from a troubled resident. The boy is a Nigerian refugee with an uncertain future, but he is beaming.
He can’t stop grinning because the awkward load is a huge trophy, almost as big as he is. This homeless third grader has just won his category at the New York State chess championship.
Much of the news of the last week has focused on wealthy families buying access to great universities, either illegally through bribes or legally through donations. There is no question that America is a tilted playing field that gives wealthy children huge advantages.
So we should all grin along with Tanitoluwa Adewumi, the newly crowned chess champion for kindergarten through third grade.
Homeless Nigerian refugee
Tanitoluwa Adewumi took first place in the New York State Scholastic Championships tournament. The 8-year-old won the championship for his age bracket.
“I want to be the youngest grandmaster,” Tanitoluwa Adewumi, who goes by Tani, told The New York Times.
Tanitoluwa placed first in the New York State Scholastic Championships tournament for kindergarten through third grade — a remarkable win for anyone.
“It’s unheard of for any kid, let alone one in a homeless shelter,” Russell Makofsky, who oversees Manhattan's P.S. 116 chess program, told USA TODAY.
Tanitoluwa hasn't had an easy life. His family left northern Nigeria in 2017 fearing attacks on Christians, The New York Times reports, and moved to New York City over a year ago where the boy learned how to play chess at school. He and his family live in a homeless shelter.
1 Comments
When I first saw this handsome little dude smiling so big,
ReplyDeleteit made me smile even bigger from ear to ear. Then, not
out of pity, after I read the family's plight, I shed a couple
of crocodile tears. (By the way, real men do cry) Kids
and students who live in an unfortunate situation as his
seem to fare better out of true necessity for survival and
perform well in school. Unfortunately, young people who
have been sheltered all their lives will eventually learn that
the world is not made like this.
I wish the very best for him, as I do for all children who
begin their education. He has set a great example for all
his peers to follow; this even changes into synergism.
Our education system here in the U.S. should be left
alone to the teachers grass roots groundwork & policies.
A national B.O.E. should be purely administrative.
Thank you for letting me share.