Sam Manders, center, celebrates his Sequim Sunrise Rotary Student of the Month award with his stepfather and mother Ed and Kathrin Sumpter.  Submitted photo

From chess to Tae Kwon Do to collecting pop tabs, Sam Manders is one busy young man.

For his efforts, the Sequim Sunrise Rotary named Manders its Middle School Student of the Month for May.

Manders began playing chess at the age of 5 and played while a student at Greywolf Elementary School. He transferred to Mountain View Christian School and started a chess club there. He’s been running the club for the past three years.

Manders also participates in the Ronald McDonald House Tab Top Charity Program. He collects tab tops for funds that help operate the Ronald McDonald House in Portland, Ore.

“They house people from all over the world who are dealing with a child who has a disease or is gravely injured,” Manders says.

He likes to play video games and have friends over, and to baby-sit his 3-year-old niece Ava.
Manders considers math his favorite school subject and spelling his best subject.

His favorite sports are Tae Kwon Do, swimming and golf. He’s slated to test for his red belt soon.

“I also plan to get my Red Cross certification so I can lifeguard at SARC (and) working hard to earn my black belt when I’m 16,” he says.

Manders hopes to enter the Grange Counselor in Training program next year for a summer camp.

“My long-range goal is to run a hotel someday,” Manders says. “I want to attend the University of Texas mainly because I’ve been interested in seeing Texas.”

Manders is the son of Kathrin Sumpter and stepson of Ed Sumpter.