Ben's Story
Falcons, known as powerful, fast-flying birds, are Ben’s favorite bird. They’re not only beautiful creatures, but also a great symbol of Ben’s own journey at Kumon. Ben started at Kumon in first grade after demonstrating advanced skills in both math and reading at a young age. Though he seemed to be excelling in school, Ben’s teacher recommended Kumon to his family so that he could continue to be challenged in a way that his own school couldn’t provide him. Ben quickly became a cornerstone to the center in various ways. He started exclusively working on the Kumon Math Program, but then added reading soon after. Ben immediately excelled in the math program which became apparent when he jumped from level B to level F over a short 6 month period, and finishing level F in the beginning of 2nd grade. He even received 5 awards at the Kumon ceremony that year, including the “Most Improved Student” and “Kumon Achievement Award”.
Even soaring birds hit some rough patches along the way. Ben began to struggle with math, and eventually wanted to quit. Then came Mr. Steve Sang, the Kumon of Cheshire director. Mr. Sang provided, and continues to provide, both inspiration and encouragement as well as academic discipline to Ben. With Mr. Sang’s help, Ben was back on track, working harder and smarter than before. Some might say that Mr. Sang helped Ben soar higher.
As a result of his hard work, Ben was accepted into John’s Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth with high honors in both reading and math. He is the only second grader in CT to get high honors in both math and reading for that year. He is currently taking an online course at Cornell University’s Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where he is also a member. He is attending 4th grade math courses at school and 3rd grade courses for every other subject.
Kumon has helped Ben unlock his full potential both in math and reading. He is able to be challenged at the appropriate level, receiving support from Mr. Sang and all of the staff members at the center. Ben’s future is bright—he intends to be an ornithologist when he grows up. He is currently at level J for math, which focuses on Algebra II (10th grade level) and is the highest level possible on the Kumon Math chart. Additionally, Ben is on level GI for reading, which is typically reached when students reach 7th grade. He is currently placed 12th in math in Kumon North America, and he is ranked 1st in math in the Northeast region in the U.S. Ben hopes to attend the 2021 Kumon Student Conference next year, so he can celebrate his successes and gratitude to Kumon with other like-minded peers. Ben is now soaring, thanks to Kumon, much like the falcons he so loves.
Anmol S. - Dual Program Completer, Math: January 2020, Reading: March, 2019 and current Kumon Center
I started Kumon at just 5 years old at a center in Cheshire. I can vaguely remember starting to do addition with a number line to assist me as I needed to add 4 6. Then after a long 4-year hiatus I returned back on my Kumon journey; now smarter and with the support of Mr. Sang I was able to continue my love of math. I started off with the easy levels, but soon started to hit challenges on my journey and started to do Kumon’s reading program as well. As I finished up fourth grade, I was able to receive my G star for finishing the basics of math and getting into algebra. Here is when I started to do some really hard math. I remember how whenever I used to come home and really wanted to quit, but I would always look back at what I had done and how close I was to my goals. Doing Kumon, in general, definitely helped me become more self-motivated in order to reach the aspirations which I have. Looking back now, I realize how, the younger a child starts Kumon the better it is for them. In March of 2019, I finished reading then 9 months later completed the whole Kumon program. I am now working helping other students who are in the same position as I originally was at Kumon of Cheshire.
Unsurprisingly, Kumon is really helpful for keeping up with math in school. With the help of my learning in Kumon, in sixth grade I was able to take accelerated math and start with Algebra I. This set me up to take Pre-Calculus at Cheshire High School during my freshman year and then Calculus last year. Kumon’s reading has also been important for the future with the SAT. Although I have been unable to take the SAT so far, I feel quite confident that I will be able to do well.
After years of hard work on both Kumon’s math and reading programs I was very excited that I finished the program and now get to help students like I once was. I find it so great that so many students are willing to take the challenge, especially many of the younger ones, who might not know it now but are putting themselves at a great advantage for the future. In the next year, I will be starting to apply to colleges and have my eyes set on Duke University for my top choice. Outside of Kumon, I swim for the Cheshire High Swim Team and YMCA Sea Dogs, am a part of many clubs at my school, such as Model UN and DECA, and volunteer for groups I am passionate for.