LOWELL, Mass. - On Monday, May 4, students from six elementary schools across Lowell gathered at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center for the fifth annual Pen Pal Play Day hosted by UMass Lowell Athletics.
 
UMass Lowell student-athletes have been exchanging letters with students from local elementary schools since September as part of the department's annual Pen Pal Program, with 120 pairings across all of UMass Lowell's athletic programs.
 
"It's really rewarding," Eliana Parreira, a junior defender on the women's soccer team, said about the gratification that comes from participating in the Pen Pal Program. "Just being able to impact their lives, and even make their days better just by getting a letter."
 
The program signifies the power of community engagement, and how the River Hawks can give back to those who support them. Katrina Duchesne is a teacher at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School, whose students have been eagerly participating in the Pen Pal Program. She described the excitement that her students received from their letter exchanges with the River Hawks.
 
"It's like Christmas morning when the bag arrives," Duchesne explained. "Writing back to their pen pals, they have smiles on their faces; They're excited."
 
Senior defenseman Oscar Perez from men's soccer has been putting in the work both on the field and in the classroom. He serves as a student teacher at Pawtucketville Memorial, which has given him exposure to both sides of the exchange.
 
"For the students, it's amazing," Perez stated. "As a student-athlete and now a student teacher, it's really cool because I could see all of the process over all of the months."
 
Though the program may run over many months, the Pen Pal Play Day is often the highlight for many of its participants.
 
"It means a lot to have that in-person connection," junior midfielder Marissa Sage of women's soccer remarked about the Play Day. "We have so much fun."
 
Director of Student-Athlete Success & Engagement Sima Suon serves as the coordinator of UMass Lowell's Pen Pal program. Suon expressed the significance of the exchange for both the student-athletes and elementary students.
 
"I'm always a big advocate for our student-athletes to use their platform for positive change," Suon shared. "Now these students are exposed to UMass Lowell, they're exposed to college, they're exposed to college athletics…hopefully one day they are future River Hawks."