Somaiya Ahmed, 2021 Summer Youth Employment Program Intern Introduction

Hello.  My name is Somaiya. I am from Brooklyn, New York. I recently graduated from high school (Brooklyn College Academy), after a year of remote learning and a worldwide pandemic. Quite the usual. Jokes aside, I am proud of myself and my class year for being resilient through it all. I am especially grateful to say that this fall I will be attending Tufts University, through the QuestBridge National Match Scholarship. I am planning to study studio art with a concentration in film and media. I am excited to see what my future holds!

Before my college plans unfold, it is essential that I begin saving up! Thankfully with the help of New York’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), I have earned the opportunity to intern at Premier Chess, a chess teaching business led by National Master Evan Rabin. My work entails promoting the art of chess through my expertise in visual arts. Now you may be wondering why chess? Well, after watching Queen’s Gambit, “Netflix’s most-watched scripted limited series to date,”  I adopted a new perspective for chess. Watching the show’s protagonist, Beth Harmon, dominating games left to right while battling with addiction and loneliness, providing a dynamic viewing experience. I have to praise show creators, Walter Tevis and Scott Frank, for doing an excellent job at capturing Beth’s complex emotions through the game of chess. As a film enthusiast, I found it beautiful how they portrayed the game of chess through the light of emotions and thoughts. 

All in all, I am excited to take my newfound interest in chess and weave it into this summer’s work. With the company of my peers and Mr. Rabin’s supervision, I am certain this summer will be awesome!