FRONT ROW (L to R): Molly Kennedy, Victoria Clardy. MIDDLE ROW (L to R): Eric Jackson, Jennie Yeaman, Cristina Hernandez, Cate Bagacina, Kelly Piol, Toby Uptain-Villa. BACK ROW (L to R): Servando Perez, Evan Drake, Julian Salas.
PHOTO GALLERY
SEASIDE, Calif. – Cal State Monterey Bay student-athletes celebrated the
National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America Day on Friday by reading Dr. Seuss books to students at Olson Elementary School, in Marina.
In addition to reading to the kids, CSUMB student-athletes shared their experience with reading and answered questions about college and being a student-athlete.
Cross country's
Eric Jackson II, Toby Uptain-Villa, Jennie Yeaman and
Cristina Hernandez joined volleyball's
Molly Kennedy and
Victoria Clardy in the fourth grade classrooms.
Evan Drake, Julian Salas, Servando Perez, Cate Bagacina and
Kelly Piol, all members of the CSUMB soccer teams, had the pleasure of reading to the kindergarten kids.
"I had so much fun reading to the kids,” Yeaman said. “I can tell that they really enjoyed having us there and I think we really inspired them.”
“It's always amazing to see the kids faces light up,” Uptain-Villa said. “It really shows how spending a little time twisting up your tongue, reading Dr. Seuss books can make a difference in a child's day.”
“It was great seeing the kids enthusiasm when we read to them,” Clardy said. “Sometimes you forget how much fun reading is when you grow up.”
NEA's Read Across America Day is an annual reading motivation and awareness program aimed at children to celebrate reading near March 2, the birthday of author Dr. Seuss. It is the largest reading celebration that the country partakes in, and it started in 1997 to get kids excited about reading with pep rallies, much like they do with sports.
