University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Are Pen Pals For Local Elementary Students
May 12, 2015 | Women's Rowing, Carolina Outreach
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In an age of email and text messaging, UNC student-athletes turn to the nearly-lost art of letter-writing each year in an effort to assist local elementary school students with their writing skills. The 2014-15 school year marked the second Pen Pal Project for UNC student-athletes, who exchanged letters every two weeks or so with students at New Hope Elementary School in Chapel Hill.
A total of 161 Tar Heel student-athletes participated in the program and were paired with students in second, fourth and fifth grades at New Hope. Nick Weiler, a rising junior on the football team, was the student coordinator of the program and the one who acted as the mailman, shuttling letters back and forth.
"The Pen Pal program was a great experience for everyone involved,” Weiler said. “The elementary school students, the athletes … we all enjoyed the letters and there were plenty of smiles on both sides after every exchange"
The finale of this year's program (it will pick back up in the fall) was a “Meet and Greet” at a recent UNC baseball game. Many of the elementary school students came to Boshamer Stadium on April 21 to meet their UNC pen pals for the first time and then stayed to watch the baseball game, in which the Tar Heels beat Campbell, 8-3.
“Our student-athletes love this program and it continues to grow,” said Ochuko Jenije, who is the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development and coordinates Carolina Outreach activities. “It's a great literacy builder for the elementary school students and gives them a look at what college is like. For our student-athletes, it's a lot of fun and a great way for them to connect with local kids.”
