Pro Basketball Player is Real 'Pal' to R.C. Hill Students

Carolyn Swords is a real pro.

Oh sure, the Chicago Sky center is one of the top women’s professional basketball players in the world. But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the fact that she has taken it upon herself to strike up a pen pal relationship with several dozen absolutely delighted students.

“It actually was Carolyn’s idea,” recalled Hill school psychologist Meghan Monteen, who has worked with the Sky’s Vice President of Operations, Michelle Henstock, on other community initiatives.  “It’s kind of rare that a pro player would be willing to do this.”

Just before Thanksgiving, through Henstock, Swords wrote a letter to Andrea Anderson’s fifth grade class at Hill detailing her record-setting basketball career at Boston College, her current experiences playing basketball in Spain in preparation for the Sky’s opener in May and what books she likes to read. She also asked the students how they were, what books they like to read and what their favorite holidays were.

Each student responded by writing individual letters to Swords.

“I asked her how Spain was and what she likes to do there and at home in the summer and winter,” recalled student Samuel Koeppl.

Samuel got a personal letter back from Swords indicating she loves to go sledding and play kick ball.

Amazingly, the other 29 students also received personal letters.

“I assumed when she responded to our letters, she would write one letter and it would be copied and pasted,” Anderson said. “Four or five minutes into reading their letters for the first time, they switched with their friends and they discovered nobody had the same thing.”

“She could have easily sent one letter to the class as a whole and the kids would have been happy,” Monteen added. “But they’re even more happy now that they have individual letters because now they can write back to her and ask more questions and hear back from her.”

“I’m telling her about the book I’m reading. It’s a really fun comedy about food fights,” student Harley Worcester said as she wrote her latest letter to her new-found pen pal Tuesday.

Swords, who has now moved to a new basketball league in Turkey, even responded to three bilingual students in Spanish and used French in a letter for student Marcelle Bonny who speaks French.

 “I was surprised because not a lot of people speak French,” Marcelle said. “She told me that she speaks French and right now, because she’s learning Spanish, she’s confused by both languages.”

While letters go back and forth, the class is hoping to be able to hook up with Swords via Skype.

“That would be really cool,” Anderson said.  “Modern technology and old-fashioned letter writing put together.”

Also possibly in the works are a Swords visit to Hill as well as a class field trip to a Skye game. (The Skye is also giving them a free ticket to any future game.)

“I would be so happy if she came,” Worcester said. “I want to show her everything I usually do, and then play and just hang out with her for a while.”

“This whole thing started out as Carolyn wanting to promote reading and empowering girls,” Anderson said. “It’s so nice to see someone with an education and a success story to tell. So many times they just want to be athletes.”

“It’s exciting that someone is willing to enrich these students’ lives in reading, literature and writing,” Monteen said.  “I think this is awesome.”