Random Acts in the W: The Math Promise

There’s nothing like a little outside motivation as a kid to get your grades up in school. For 11 year-old Kenley Curtin, that’s exactly what helped raise her math grade and it’s all thanks to a chance encounter with the owner of the Caps, Ted Leonsis.

Kenley and her family are massive Capitals fans and season ticket members. She even started a Caps shrine after she went to her first warmups and got a puck from Alexander Ovechkin himself.

“The same thing happened a month later at her second game and the collection was on,” Chris said. “She has added pictures with the players, bobbleheads, rally towels, hats, and many more pucks.”

In 2023, Chris and Kenley attended the season opening “Rock The Red Carpet” event where she got more autographs to add to her shrine, but she also ran into Ted Leonsis.

As he often does when engaging with young fans, he asked her how school was going, and she admitted that she was struggling with math. Ted made a deal with her: if she got her math grade up, he would give her family his seats on the glass for a game.

Following this conversation, Kenley was incredibly motivated to study hard and get her grade up. She was especially excited that this was something she could do for her family as well.

“I could tell right away she had committed to making math a priority,” said Chris. 

Kenley went from a ‘C’ to a ‘B+’ and missed out on an ‘A’ by just one point. 

“I told my teacher about my deal with Mr. Leonsis and she helped me,” said Kenley. “I studied with my mom and dad and my grandparents too.” 

Since Kenley made good on her end of the deal, it was time for Leonsis to do the same. 

The family traveled up from their home in Richmond where they got Ted’s glass seats and Kenley couldn’t believe how big and fast the players were that up close.

“She has asked for a couple years if we could one day have seats on the glass for a game,” Chris said. “It was kind of a Caps bucket list thing for her.”

Not only did they get some of the best seats in the house, but Kenley also got a team-signed blue ‘W’ jersey and the special opportunity of meeting her favorite player Connor McMichael.

“It was priceless to see the look on her face when Connor walked in,” said Chris. 

“I was so surprised,” Kenley said. “He was so nice to me and it was fun talking about our dogs.” 

The deal was done and all her Caps wishes came true, but that doesn’t mean she’ll let her math grade slip again.

“I want to get an ‘A’ in math,” she said. “I don’t want to let Mr. Leonsis or my parents down.”