Shocker athletes share their love of books

When she was in elementary school, Abbi Bird loved Junie B. Jones books.

“I loved reading. I had a stack of books taller than myself when I was their age,” Bird says.

Now a freshman at Wichita State University and a heptathlete on the school’s track team, Bird and other WSU athletes are part of a new “Reading with the Shockers” initiative aimed at mentoring and inspiring Wichita youngsters.

The program pairs freshman athletes with students at three schools – Adams, Isely and Chisholm Trail Elementary – where they will visit once a month and read with groups of students.

On Friday, Bird and five other athletes helped kick off the program at Adams Elementary, at Ninth and Grove, where they read a picture-book version of “Who Moved My Cheese?” and guided third-graders through literacy activities based on the book.

“It’s a great way for our kids to see that their hard work now … will pay off,” said Christy Wise, an instructional coach at Adams Elementary. “It’s all about following their dreams, working hard to achieve whatever their goal might be.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Shocker athletes share their love of books."