Jason's Grey Cells

McAvoy admires the eloquence of the letters her class receives but says the best thing about being pen pals with Shinagel is his ability to include personal information that is of interest to 9- and 10- year-olds. She says hands down, his most famous letter was from Valentine’s Day 2008. The dean mentioned his dog, Quincy, and getting a valentine from him (via his wife). “That was the most exciting response ever,” McAvoy says. The dean received so many questions about Quincy that he sent a photo and the actual Valentine’s Day card he received from his dog, and the children all asked for copies to show their parents. “To have a dean at Harvard University reach out and touch the children’s lives in this way was astonishing to me.