Last year, the Boys & Girls Club launched a summer chess program in our day camp and many young kids immediately embraced it. To build on this interest, we began offering weekly chess sessions on Saturday mornings throughout the school year.

Jason Peterson volunteers with our chess club, something he does because he loves the game and believes strongly in offering disadvantaged children new experiences and opportunities.

Professionally, Jason is Vice President of Finance for Cognizant Technology Solutions. His son is an accomplished player who, when learning from an international chess master, got to be a sparring partner with his dad.

He believes that children are remarkable in their ability to extract things from new experiences and believes that all children should have academic and enrichment opportunities. 

“The thing I love most about the Saturday morning chess program is that we are competing with the arcade, computers, sports, and art and yet every week we have a group of kids that come to play chess out of curiosity,” remarks Jason. “This is why I like to come here, to help expose kids to this opportunity.” 

In his limited spare time, Jason enjoys international travel and cuisine, movies, and reading. 

He also volunteered this year as a mentor for Youth of the Year, a public speaking and writing program sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of America. As a mentor, he was matched with a high school senior and supported her in her writing and public speaking. 

“I came here to get exposed to the experiences of Trenton youth," says Peterson. "I got to learn about my mentee’s goals and life experiences, and on a personal level, that was very fulfilling for me.” 

 Thank you, Jason, for your steady presence at our club! To learn more about volunteering, Click Here.