Fun Facts

Chess has been a passion of mine for over a decade. Playing, teaching, and volunteering have let me be involved with a community of inspired people in Georgia and beyond. Computer games and reading are fun as well, though I do some weightlifting and did judo and jujitsu for awhile in the past.

About Me

Finance and English were my degrees at Georgia State University. While at Georgia State I was a member of the Finance Society and later graduated near the top of my class. At the time I was hoping to become a Certified Financial Analyst and run a fund; now I am using my degree to help a friend establish a company.

As a chess player I was invited to teach at Fernbank Elementary School and did so for three years as part of the coaching team there. Two individual students resulted from my team efforts and both played on the school teams, with one being on the top team competing for the state championship. At the college level I have helped individual students with finance and math material, with one student being a graduate student.

More than anything I have learned that discuss, practice, analyze, and practice again is the method that works well for most students. Too much discussion results in losing material the student needs; too little results in no organization or assistance from the teacher. Practice shows a student where practical difficulties and subtleties occur and creates questions the student and teacher can review together. This also gives the student a chance to find questions instead of constantly answering. More practice, refining skills and confronting the difficulties encountered until they are less challenging, gives the student confidence.