Polk County grads teach chess to kids from migrant families

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A pair of Polk County High School standouts will walk the stage of the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Monday, May 20 at their graduations as role models to the migrant community.

Christian Cortes graduates as valedictorian from Mulberry High School and is headed to Stanford University. Freddy Bautista graduates from Bartow High and is headed to the Ivy League’s Cornell University.

The two friends, who spoke with Spectrum News in a recent story about Hispanic graduation rates, have overcome tall odds and become first in their class with top honors.

Before the culmination of the school year and their high school careers, they shared a bit of theory on their chess game to a younger generation.

Cortes capped off a successful year by coaching his chess team to third in the county, top 10 in the entire district.

The team, however, only started learning the game at the beginning of 2024.

Freddy is the co-coach and will be the first in his family to graduate high school.

“I just thought it would be great to have the same opportunity for the kids that don’t have the same opportunity,” said Freddy about coaching the children at the RCMA-Mulberry Community Academy.

The team is made up of children who come from migrant families at the RCMA-Mulberry Community Academy.

Both coaches know their chess players’ situations well.

“We went through the same things, we went through the same stories,” said Christian. “Now, how can we connect with each other and enjoy each other and enjoy each other’s times.”

Christian and Freddy have shared experience with the young RCMA students of having the challenges as a migrant family.

Now, they are sharing chess game theory and other tips for school success, in whichever language is best. 

“Sometimes it comes out better in a different language and I think that’s a beautiful thing about chess, it doesn’t matter what language,” said Freddy about his coaching which he did in Spanish at times.

What they are communicating is having success in the game of life.

“I don’t have these challenges, I don’t have to spend 12 hours in the sun picking strawberries day after day after day,” Christian said. “I get to be here; I get to teach these students and get the opportunity to go to school.”

Both are knowing and showing their students they can overcome the challenges their parents faced to make a better move forward.