Scholar of the Year USchesstrust National-scholar-chessplayer-award
The 2012 Scholar-Chessplayer Award winners are:

■Yang Dai, Virginia
■Joshua Mu, North Carolina
■Andrew Ng, New Jersey
■Jesse Orlowski, California
■Alexandra Wiener, Connecticut(FIDE 1880 Dec 2012)

Here is one of them, Alexandra Wiener.

‘…The five-year span between fourth and ninth grade was spent darting across a tightrope string of deceptions even with my closest friends, due to the perceived pressure from my peers to be “cool.”  

What started, as a harmless way to protect my identity and salvage my social life quickly became an uncomfortable game of circumvention. When friends would ask why I couldn’t attend a certain event on a Saturday night, I would reply that I was, “visiting a family friend,” or that I had “soccer.”  

To everyone who knew me, I was a “jock”, who scurried back and forth between soccer and softball practices and state championship games. In reality however, this label only covered half of my life.

The other half, my best-kept secret, stayed tucked away for fear that I would be stereotyped as a “nerd.”   It wasn’t until ninth grade that anyone other than my family learned that I was a nationally ranked chess player….(more)  

Chess Achievements and Awards(Partial)
■United States All Girls National Chess Co-Champion (16 years & under – 2010) (5th Place: 12 years & under – 2006) (2nd Place: 10 years & under – 2004)
■Six time Connecticut State Female Scholastic Champion (2005-2006 and 2008-2011)
■Top chess competitor in the United States since age nine: Female Ranking – 99%
■Five time Official CT State Representative to Polgar National All-Girls Invitational (2005-2006 and 2008-2010) (Youngest State Champion Representative at age 11 in 2005)
■United States Chess Open Championship (Tied for 3rd Place – Class A) (2011)
■World Chess Open Championship (Tied for 11th Place – Under 1600) (2006)
■United States Girls Junior Open Championship (Top A Class Prize & Best Game Award- 2011) (Top B Class Prize – 2010)
■Chess Magnet Junior Grand Prix National Competition (2010 National Top 50 Prize: Placed 22nd of 5,175) (2011 Current Standing: 18th of 5,563)

Chess Service, Leadership Activities(Partial)
■Chess Scholarships for Kids: Raised money with fellow chess champion at 2011 CT K-8 Chess Championship by offering autographs, photos and the chance to play five minute blitz games. Chess sets were bought and donated to CT State Chess Association to establish a scholarship program for inner-city children who will receive free lessons, a donated chess set and entry into chess tournaments. In 2012, I will mentor the program. (April 2011-Present)
■Chessboard Auction: Arranged for 31 Grandmasters, so far, to sign a chessboard for auction. The proceeds will be used to fund Chess Scholarship for Kids Program. (April 2011-Present)
■Bridgeport Board of Education Donation: Used prize winnings from 2011 United States Chess Open to purchase chess sets, which were donated to the Bridgeport Board of Education for distribution to first grade classrooms in school district. (September 2011)
■National Educational Chess Association: Volunteer Chess Instructor of weekly class in elementary school program and volunteer Assistant Tournament Director. (2010-Present)
■Fairfield County Chess Club: Volunteer Instructor/ Coach of weekly club program. Developed marketing strategy to attract disadvantaged students to join chess programs. (2011-Present)