I’ve known Kevin for around 3 years now, since my freshman year, and I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with his friends. I wouldn’t say we’re the most productive group, and we have been in our own little circle as chess club and team members from freshman through junior year.
And as I’ve gotten closer to everyone, I can confidently say that Kevin Flores isn’t a remarkable man; he isn’t a top student either. So, by reading this you won’t learn a scholar’s advice on how you should move forward in your high school experience or anything of value even relating on how to become a great chess player. This article will be a tribute to him as a close friend and as a message to be curious and go as deep as you can with the people you know.
School Life
When I asked what his school schedule is like, he told me, “It’s full of core classes.” He has three social study classes, two math classes, and three English classes. He has no electives. He needs all these core classes to graduate. Out of his schedule with only core classes, he likes his English 4 class with Ms. Cosculluela because he has her class twice. “Same work since it’s the same class,” he said. “Of course I don’t have to do the work again.” It’s his only free period.
He gets to school in his stepfather’s car, and he walks back home. Real gusto, putting in those steps, walking an hour and a half to get home, which is almost 5 miles away. When I asked if he had any other comments relating his school schedule/ life he said, “No.”
Extracurricular stuff
The extracurricular role Kevin Eduardo Flores Barrera is best known as the Chess Team captain and VP 1 of the Chess Club throughout the 2024- 2026 school years. One way Kevin helps our community is by volunteering at Shenandoah Elementary school as a tutor alongside other members of the chess team.
And I could imagine his next answer too- likely a memorable moment involving the chess team/club— which let’s be honest, usually, the most memorable moments are when we have traveled out of Miami for nationals–the biggest scholastic chess tournament in the US–so of course that was pretty obvious, but Kevin’s words for the most memorable moment of that trip happened the moment Kevin left Florida. When the entire chess team went to Baltimore, it was his first time out of the state of Florida ever since he came here 10 years ago from El Salvador.
I didn’t expect him to be this honest about why these trips were memorable. I was expecting a sappier reply for my next question: How has this club changed your high school experience?
“I guess they just make high school more entertaining than middle school,” he said. “In middle school I kind of just stayed outside or waited for my mom to get there at 4:00 p.m. I had to wait a whole hour just to leave, because after school, the school just shut down, so there wasn’t a place to go. I guess it just made high school more fun because I had something to do instead of waiting for hours.”
School philosophy
His opinions were a lot more detailed than I thought: “As a senior, I guess to any freshmen, I would say, focus on your academics most of the time, but at the same time have fun and don’t just stress yourself with academics because at the end of the day, if you just stay up all night studying and working you’re not going to get anywhere by being tired all the time. If you focus on academics and have fun at the same time, you’ll make it far.”
I asked my next question: “What’s something that pushes you up in the morning to continue your education and school life?”
Kevin replied, “I get up every morning to finish whatever the American school system has me do so I can eventually do what I want to do. I don’t want to be trapped here in school any longer; I just want to do what I want.”
I next asked, “Who’s helped you the most with school, think of teachers or counselors?”
“Mr. Cuevas,” Kevin replied, “amazing guy. He’s been there since I was a freshman when I joined the chess club. He’s mostly just there, helping me. Sophomore year he gave me a scholarship, but since I’m undocumented, I couldn’t get the scholarship. But this year he gave me a scholarship again, which I could accept and use for college. He’s given me opportunities in chess club and somewhat in Key Club, I guess, and he’s the one who gave me the option of graduating early. Without him I wouldn’t be in senior year.”
Kevin’s Personal Life
You know, to you, this will probably go by quickly. Of course it will! You don’t know Kevin, but this by far was the longest part of the interview for me. This goes by like a short story, so pay attention.
Kevin stated, “Not giving up despite the adversities there could be in my life. Back in my country, most of the times, from what my mom told me, was always more of a ‘we almost died this way’ or ‘we almost did this’. Not giving up, because there’s a bunch of things alongside my life to keep pushing. Like having to leave the USA now and never giving up hope. People have told me, ‘You’re so calm about this situation.’ And I tell them, ‘Yeah, I’m calm because that’s just the way of life, things come, things go.’ That’s just how life works. You just got to live with it. Just don’t give up.”
I asked about his family life and he stated. “Family life is a lil crazy with my mom’s side of the family and my dad’s side of the family fighting. My mom’s side has a grudge on my dad’s side for no reason. In my dad’s side, my dad is the only one angry at these things and questions what his side of the family has ever done to them, right? My dad’s side has always given things to my mom; his family is always helping, and it’s something they’ve always prided themselves on. What I don’t like is what my mom told me, when I do go over there (El Salvador) and live with my dad, she won’t pay for my university needs. I told my dad, and he took that personally, so you know there’s a lil tension there.”
I had to ask how he coped with all of this, for you, the readers: “I focus on myself. That’s the only decision I can say I’m being selfish, because I’m focusing on myself. I couldn’t care less if my mom or dad hated each other, I couldn’t care less. What I’m looking for is my future. Their futures are already ruined. I still have something to look towards, that’s what I told my dad. If I mess it up, that’s on me and not their fault, so what keeps me going is I know I have an opportunity and they don’t, so I can prove everybody in my family wrong.”
I asked, “What would you like to be remembered for when he graduates.” He stated, “I mean I haven’t really done anything to be remembered for—probably just for some of the teachers. They’ve always told me how educated I am when I’m around them, but there’s a difference between being with friends and adults/teachers. You have to be respectful with each other; so not really—just that one kid who tried his best.”
Kevin Flores will be soon deported back to El Salvador after he graduates from Miami Senior High, and I felt that was nothing but cruel, because Kevin has been nothing but a good, hard worker, more of a hard worker than me. However, despite a life-changing choice forced upon him, he didn’t waver one bit, not at all during the interview.
So, I asked him, if he had any last messages for the school body to remember him by, and he just said “No.” I asked afterwards, what he thinks about leaving early: “I don’t know what to think about it. I don’t have a feeling towards it. Like I said, life goes on. Things were going to happen eventually.”
It occurs to me every day that the strongest of us are sometimes never appreciated, unheard and unknown. It is within all of us, being unknown, and that’s why we need to talk to people and grow deeper to them and to know them.
Kevin Flores, I will never forget you, my friend. I hope I gave you justice with this story, because you are a great man, and I hope the best for you. Enjoy your graduation.
