I’m Coming to Keene State: Tyngsboro Students Bring Commitment to Community
Paige MacNeill and Emily McPadden have a lot in common. Friends since elementary school, the Tyngsboro, MA, residents share a love of basketball and a long-standing devotion for volunteer work—and now they will be attending Keene State College beginning this fall.
While the pair gained notoriety for their play on the court as four-year basketball players on a highly-successful Tyngsboro High School team that made four trips to the Central Massachusetts finals, MacNeill, who was also a two-year captain and member of the school’s field hockey teams, and McPadden are just as proud of their work off the court.
As juniors, MacNeill and McPadden teamed up to hold a touch-football game as a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Familiar with Connor Flanagan, a then freshman at Tyngsboro High, whose battle with leukemia was well-known in the small town, MacNell and McPadden held the event to give back in honor of their fellow student. “It was a huge success,” said MacNeill, who helped to raise over $1000 for the Foundation. You can read more about this on the [Lowell Sun’s website](Paige MacNeill and Emily McPadden have a lot in common. Friends since elementary school, the Tyngsboro, MA residents share a love of basketball and a long-standing devotion for volunteer work—and now they will be attending Keene State College beginning this fall.
While the pair gained notoriety for their play on the court as four-year basketball players on a highly-successful Tyngsboro High School team that made four trips to the Central Massachusetts finals, MacNeill, who was also a two-year captain and member of the school’s field hockey teams, and McPadden are just as proud of their work off the court.
As juniors, MacNeill and McPadden teamed up to hold a touch-football game as a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Familiar with Connor Flanagan, a then freshman at Tyngsboro High, whose battle with leukemia was well-known in the small town, MacNeill and McPadden held the event to give back in honor of their fellow student. “It was a huge success,” said MacNeill, who helped to raise over $1,000 for the Foundation. You can read more about this in the Lowell Sun.
Ready to Join the Keene State College Community
Both MacNeill and McPadden are looking to make an impact as Keene State students. In addition to her numerous athletic honors as a three-sport athlete for the Tigers, MacNeill received the school’s Principal’s award, a monthly honor given to students for their accomplishments in academics, athletics and community service.
MacNeill plans to major in athletic training at Keene State. “Athletics is a big part of my life,” she said. “I know what it’s like to be injured so I want to help other athletes.”
Like MacNeill, McPadden was a basketball standout at Tyngsboro High. She will be reunited with former Tiger teammate, Stephanie D’Annolfo, in the Owls’ backcourt this season. McPadden plans to major in criminal justice at Keene State. “My dad is a police officer, and I want to go into law enforcement when I graduate,” she said.
