Our Story
Our story is rooted in a life-long passion for connecting multi-generations through the simple and meaningful act of handwriting pen pal letters. Miss Ways Pen Pals helps to build genuine relationships and support cognitive and neurological development while nurturing positive social-emotional well-being for people of all ages.
Order a Pen Pal Kit!
Start your journey as a Miss Ways Pen Pal by ordering your first pen pal kit! Your kit will be personally customized and postage stamps will be included. Sign up for a 6 month or 12 month Miss Ways Pen Pals kit today!
SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN: WRITING BY HAND IS HEALTHY FOR THE BRAIN
“Writing by hand helps to activate both hemispheres of your brain at the same time. When you write with a paper and pen, one side of your brain focuses on the fine-motor-skills with the movement of your hand while the other half of your brain activates important cognitive skills like memory, emotions, and many more. Studies have shown that people who write by hand showed widespread connectivity through several regions of the brain. Typing, however, showed minimal to zero activity in the same areas. Writing by hand is healthy for the brain! Anyone at any age can find positive benefits through pen pal writing.”
-Mai Nguyen, Founder
Real People, Real Pen Pals
“Being part of Miss Ways Pen Pals has been such a meaningful and fulfilling experience. In a world dominated by digital communication, there’s something incredibly human and personal about connecting through handwritten letters. It brings back a sense of warmth and intentionality that’s often missing in modern life. I truly love being part of this community, and I deeply appreciate the effort to keep the timeless art of letter writing alive- especially as a reminder for younger generations of the beauty in slowing down and making genuine connections.” - V.T. 28-years-old
“I love being a Miss Ways Pen Pal! I have Autism and Miss Ways helped me learn how to write in cursive and it doesn’t hurt my hand. I like reading and writing, it’s fun to me now.” Z.G. 9-years-old
“My experience with Miss Ways Pen Pals was wonderful. I was a Miss Ways Pen Pal in high school and I signed up to help build my resumé. I wanted to get paired up with a few elementary kids and not only was I able to outreach towards a new generation, but it was almost like I was giving advice to my younger self. An opportunity like this is what I wish I had growing up!” -P.T. 25-years-old
“My wife and I signed up our entire family to be part of Miss Ways Pen Pals. My son just turned 3-years-old and he can write his letters in print AND in cursive. It’s amazing! Something about Miss Ways helped unlock a love of language arts in him. Recently, he wants to learn how to write Greek letters. None of us know Greek, so I guess he will be teaching us soon!” - J.H. 36-years-old
“We’ve been using Miss Ways Pen Pals for years. When I signed up my child for his first session with Miss Ways, my son was only in 1st grade at that time. I noticed his handwriting needed help and my boy is shy, we are a first-generation Haitian family and I wanted him to be able to enjoy learning with someone that helps him at his pace. Now, he is a Senior in high school and I can see how much Miss Ways helped him grow in his confidence. Miss Ways helped him understand science better too, now it’s one of his favorite subjects! It amazes me how often he’ll put down his phone to take out a pen and paper to write and draw. I love seeing his brain think. We still schedule tutoring workshops with Mrs.Mai because Miss Ways Pen Pals is an amazing resource for our family.” -M.B.A 53-years-old and D.B.A. 17-years-old
“I’m a Mom and I signed myself up to be a Miss Ways Pen Pal. I remember being a pen pal when I was younger and I love that it’s making a comeback! I asked to get paired up with another working Mom, someone my age, and we realized how much we have in common and can relate to one another. Writing letters and journaling is such a great stress reliever for me and I’m happy I found a safe community with Miss Ways Pen Pals.” -A.B. 37-years-old
