UNE football players celebrate Read Across America Day with elementary school students in Scarborough

UNE student-teacher Drew Patno looks on as football player Jack Mahoney reads to children at the Eight Corners School
UNE student-teacher Drew Patno looks on as football player Jack Mahoney reads to children at the Eight Corners School

A group of University of New England football players, led by those majoring in Education, spent time reading to children at the Eight Corners School in Scarborough to commemorate Read Across America Day.

The event is an annual motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

The players arrived at the school dressed in their uniforms and spread out into several classrooms.

“Being the first team in southern Maine for college football, we want to get our name out there and give back to the community,” explained Jack Mahoney (Secondary Education, ’21), one of the organizers.

After reading the book The Cat in the Hat, Mahoney spoke to the kids about the importance of reading and fielded questions about life as a college student and playing on the football team.

The day gave Mahoney valuable experience working with young students. 

“I've always wanted to be a teacher,” he said. “My mom was a high school teacher, and my dad was a middle school teacher.”

Mahoney visited a second-grade class being taught by UNE student-teacher Drew Patno (Elementary Education, ’19).

“I took over the room for three weeks and implemented all the lesson plans,” Patno stated. “It's my own classroom, and it allows me to see what it's like to be a classroom teacher.”

Patno started off just observing the teacher, learning the curriculum and management techniques, before teaching the class on his own.

“Our advisers push from the beginning to get us into schools,” he said. “This gives you a great foundation. After student teaching, you feel very prepared.”

Patno is one of several UNE students teaching or interning at Eight Corners. The elementary school also has several UNE alumni as teachers.

“We've been really lucky in our relationship with Eight corners,” said Audrey Bartholomew, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Education Department. “Principal Anne Lovejoy has been very supportive of the UNE program. We encourage all of our students to do field work here.”

Students at the Eight Corners School get Jack Mahoney and Drew Patno moving to the "Chicken Dance" during a break from reading
Students at the Eight Corners School get Jack Mahoney and Drew Patno moving to the "Chicken Dance" during a break from reading
Audrey Bartholomew, chair of the Education Department, visits a classroom while football player Trevor Therrien is reading
Audrey Bartholomew, chair of the Education Department, visits a classroom while football player Trevor Therrien is reading to students

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.