A group of students from Texas A&M University share a special lunch with their fourth grade pen pals on Friday, Jan. 10.
It was a special day for Red Bluff Elementary students as they finally met face-to-face with their Aggie Pen Pals.
Throughout the day, 15 Texas A&M University representatives spent time in fourth grade classrooms getting to know their pen pals and talking to students about college opportunities. Students also participated in several group building activities, followed by a special lunch with their Aggie Pals
“This program encourages elementary students to think about college early,” Casey Gros, a Texas A&M representative said. “It’s a great way to help elementary students build relationships with Aggie students and it also helps Aggies give back to the community. Texas A&M students remember the struggles they had getting to college so the stories they shared today will help elementary students realize that they too can go to college.”
The Aggie Pals: Go Write to College pen-pal partnership is part of Texas A&M’s Regents’ Scholars Program (RSP), an initiative that seeks to prepare students for college. The organization helps members build leadership and time management skills through active involvement with communities, while helping elementary students build writing and editing skills.
“Going back to elementary school has never been so fun,” Gros said.
Students will get to soak up the college culture and reconnect with their pen pals during their visit to Aggieland in February.
“This is making college not just an idea but something tangible that they will one day get to experience,” Ryan Pavone, the assistant principal said. “We are so thankful that this wonderful group of college students took the time to visit our school and talk to the fourth graders about going to college. Our students absolutely enjoyed it.”