SPECIAL HONOREE

Abhimanyu Mishra
High School Student and Chess Expert

Jessica Hyatt, 16, aims to make history by becoming the first female African-American chess master ever. And she is getting very close! With an official chess rating of 2095, Ms. Hyatt currently is a chess expert and only 105 rating points shy of the 2200 needed for the coveted master title.

Hyatt lives in Brooklyn with her family and attends Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts in Manhattan. She has already won a $40,000 college scholarship because of her skills on the chessboard. She has big plans for college, and also wants to teach chess to children in her community.

“The biggest opponent is yourself,” she says. “You should take each moment to learn about you and to try new things, and see your improvement.”