When Greg '82 and Judy Jeziorny Bird '84 returned to campus for Homecoming last year, they, like other Knox College alumni, reminisced about their days as students. In particular, they talked about the sense of anticipation they used to feel about checking their K-boxes and finding an envelope or two addressed to them.

They thought it would be fun to connect somehow with the people who now have those K-boxes. While still on campus for Homecoming, Judy tucked a brief note and a $10 bill into an envelope, addressing it to her former box number.

Greg, though, couldn't remember which box number had been his.

In a lucky turn of events, the Birds' son John '15, who works in the Office of Admission, stumbled across some old Knox student directories around the time Admission was moving to Alumni Hall. By using the directories, John tracked down his dad's box number. (Photo below: Knox student directories from the 1980s.)

Greg then wrote his own short note and mailed it, along with $10, to his former box number. That envelope landed in what is now the K-box of faculty member Shuyan Gao Shipplett, lecturer in Chinese.

Shipplett found the note in her box on January 16. She was surprised.

"I had to read it twice," she said. "It was so moving. The thought of giving someone you don't know $10 -- that made me really happy."

As reported in The Knox Student, Greg's note read: "Dear Student. I hope you use the modest sum of money for something other than laundry -- pizza, beer, etc. I hope you enjoy your days at Knox as much as I did."

Shipplett sent Greg Bird a thank you note, and she gave away the $10 to a randomly chosen student in her Chinese class.

The Birds said their gesture is no big deal.

"It was just a small attempt at brightening someone's day," Greg said.

"It's good to have a little bit of found money," added Judy, who shared a photo of the old Knox directories on the Knox College Class of 1984 Facebook page.

Knox remains a special place for the Birds, whose daughter, Lauren '17, also is a current student.

Greg said he wouldn't have gone on to his career in law "without the foundation I got at Knox."

"You learn to learn," said Judy. "You learn to be curious. That's something that's always stuck with us."