By Warren Woodberry
“I need more strategy so I can take more pieces,” says Lukas, a 4th grader from Toledo Public Schools’ (TPS) Escuela SMART Academy. Last semester, Lukas’ father enrolled him in the Woodberry Park Chess Club at The Jones Leadership Academy School of Business, and as one would nourish a plant to help it grow, Lukas needed a little nourishment. His first loss did not go well emotionally but in no time in his age group, losses were a thing of the past and his skills in chess took off. Not only did he have the intellect to achieve skills in chess, but his dynamic personality and social skills caught the attention of Superintendent Dr. Durant of TPS where they were both pictured together in the Sunday, September 21st edition of the Toledo Blade (Section E, page 12) celebrating with each other and giving a high-five. So, if you meet a young 4th grader hunched over a chess board in Toledo and notice a swagger and an air of confidence, you just met Lukas.