Guilderland Student Launches Pen Pal Program for Seniors

Nathan Mazzone, a Guilderland High School senior, launched a pen pal program last June that paired Pine Bush Elementary students with nursing home residents at Kingsway Community.

Mazzone, inspired by letters his great-grandmother wrote to him while living at Kingsway, approached his former second grade teacher Lynn-Marie Cipriano about the idea. Starting in September, he visited Cipriano's third grade class monthly to help students write letters, then delivered the correspondence during his weekly volunteer shifts at the nursing home.

Students created hand-painted wooden boxes for their pen pals during a December visit. The program concluded in late May with an in-person meeting between students and residents.

"My students absolutely love Nathan," Cipriano said. "He is an incredible role model for them."

Third grader Atharv Dixit wrote to his pen pal Mary: "We had so much in common together. It meant a lot to both of us. We used our hearts to say things like we are friends."

Classmate Emily Wickert called it "one of the best experiences of my life."

After 29 years of teaching, Cipriano said the program ranks among "one of the most gratifying experiences" of her career. Mazzone plans to attend UMass Amherst in the fall.