The USC Aiken athletics department and mascot Ace the Pacer visited East Aiken School of the Arts on Thursday to celebrate nearly 235 students who reached their November and December reading goals. The visit was part of the Read with the Pacers initiative.
Students in kindergarten though fifth grade who reached their goals received a free ticket to a home Pacer basketball game on Jan. 20. Each student had individual goals based on their grade level and were able to choose books that matched their interests.
USC Aiken student athletes Melvin Archie and McKenzie Lott spoke to the elementary students about the importance of prioritizing their education.
“This is important to me because I feel like reading and education are important as a whole,” said Archie, a senior elementary education major. “Today … we just explained to the students why reading and learning is so important.”