Pacific Athletics welcomes local children to campus for fifth annual Education Day

University of the Pacific showcased its Stockton Campus and demonstrated the value of education to hundreds of local elementary and middle school students during the annual Education Day organized by Pacific Athletics on Nov. 21. This was the fifth year that the Pacific women’s basketball program and Pacific partnered to bring the students on campus.

The 2,300 students came from more than two dozen schools in the Lodi, Stockton and Lincoln unified school districts, and half of them walked from their neighborhood schools to the Stockton Campus. 

“We’re honored to host this event, not only for our campus, but most importantly for our community,” Pacific Athletic Director Janet Lucas told The Record. “To reach out to Stockton Unified (School District) and Lincoln Unified and some schools in Lodi who participated, we can connect with them in a variety of ways.”

Pacific student-athletes and coaches led 1,100 students through tours of the campus. All students attended the women’s basketball game against Weber State in the Alex G. Spanos Center and enjoyed a healthy lunch. Afterward, each student left Pacific with a complimentary age- and grade-appropriate book courtesy of Athletics and Beyond Our Gates

The students had the opportunity to participate throughout the game and engage with Pacific student-athletes. Morada Middle School students opened the game with the National Anthem; at halftime, students talked with three student-athletes from the Pacific water polo and softball teams about the importance of education, character, teamwork, perfect attendance and life as a college student-athlete; and after the game, journalism students from Morada Middle School interviewed the Pacific athletes.