For Riley Huang, one of this summer’s Philly Girls Play Chess camp instructors, chess began as a hobby they enjoyed alone, or with their dad. Then they found their high school’s ASAP Chess club.
“It was great to have a community to play with!” Riley says. “I was excited for afterschool, just to play chess. I was even more stoked when I was able to attend tournaments.” Motivated to give other students the community they’d lacked, Riley became a paid mentor to an elementary chess club via ASAP’s peer mentorship program.
“That gave me teaching experience and gave me confidence to teach kids,” they say.
When they became a private chess tutor after college, Riley ultimately decided to become an ASAP chess leader to give their students the same sense of community they enjoyed growing up. And as an instructor at this year’s Philly Girls Play Chess camp, they saw the camaraderie and encouragement among the girls as especially valuable.
“It’s very safe for them to learn without fear of losing, fear of messing up. I wish I had something like this when I was growing up.” Riley adds, “It’s great to see more girls in this game.”
Today, Riley owns multiple businesses before the age of 30—and they credit some of their go-getter attitude to their time as an ASAP Chess player and mentor.
“I don’t fear to go for opportunities. I do talk to more people, I chit chat. If I see an opportunity, I won’t hesitate, and go for it. Just like any of the businesses that I started. Nobody guided me. I just found out someone else was doing it, and then I did my own research.”
Eight years into their time with ASAP, Riley plans to coach with ASAP Chess for the foreseeable future. “I think ASAP Chess is great. I love the ASAP people; I love that they’re still doing this.”