Although CCL is primarily in Ohio, we do have students from all parts of the country. Sometimes these other students go unnoticed and their accomplishments go unnoticed. Kevin is a good example of this. I just noticed that he should be a CCL graduate and although I just added him as our 35th graduate, he earned this title a while ago. I will quote an email sent from Kevin's parents to IM Atanas Kizov. The email does a good job of telling his chess story.
Yes, it works. As Kevin is graduating from high school, May will be his last month of Chess lessons.
I wanted to take a moment to express my family's heartfelt gratitude for all the incredible work you have done as Kevin's chess teacher over the past years. Through your guidance and expertise, Kevin has grown into a remarkable scholastic player, achieving tremendous success on and off the chessboard. He was crowned the Kansas K-12 Champion in 2022 and named one of the five recipients of the prestigious USChess Scholar-Chessplayer Awards (https://new.uschess.org/news/2022-scholar-chessplayer-awards-announced). It is a true testament to his hard work, talent, and dedication, all of which have been nurtured and developed under your watchful eye. But your mentorship has gone beyond teaching Kevin how to play chess. You have helped him develop critical thinking skills, hone his analytical abilities, and cultivate a strong work ethic. You have provided him with a supportive learning environment that has allowed him to grow and flourish, both as a chess player and as a person.
We are also thrilled to share that Kevin has been early-admitted to his dream school, Columbia University. Thank you again for all your hard work, dedication, and mentorship.
Alan, we also greatly appreciate that Kevin has had the opportunity to take chess lessons through your CCL CHESS SCHOOL.