Educator. Coach. Humanitarian.

These three words, once immortalized on a monument outside Beaver Stadium, are how many believe Joe Paterno ought to be remembered. More than the head of a football team, Paterno respected everyone as individuals, finding a way to connect with his players and students alike.

Following the events of the 2011 Sandusky scandal, Paterno was terminated from his position as head football coach after serving in the role for 45 seasons. Seventy-four days later, he passed away unexpectedly after losing a battle with lung cancer. December 21, 2026, would have been Paterno’s 100th birthday. 

Thousands of Penn Staters, whether they met Paterno or not, have been impacted by his legacy. But with such a short time between his firing and passing, many were left without the chance to show proper gratitude or say a proper goodbye. 

One of the individuals who was fortunate enough to meet and be influenced by Paterno was Bucks County native Deborah “Debby” Kevin. Kevin graduated from Penn State in 1991 after returning to school to pursue an accounting and management information systems degree at 24.

Having always been an “A-student,” Kevin found herself struggling with a difficult course load in her first semester back in college. After failing a statistics exam, she approached the teaching assistant in the course in search of guidance. Little did she know at the time that Paterno was the one she would ultimately receive the guidance from. 

The TA not-so-passive-aggressively suggested Kevin was too old to continue her studies, saying that’s why she may have been struggling academically. Saddened and slightly insulted, Kevin treated herself to the perfect remedy for any bad day — frozen yogurt. 

While weeping inside TCBY, waiting for her turn in line, Kevin turned around after hearing “the voice” behind her: the iconic voice of Paterno. Noticing a visibly upset Kevin, Paterno comforted her, complimented her intelligence, and encouraged her to persevere through her studies. The coach suggested that Kevin visit the athletic tutoring office, which she did, becoming a tutor and getting her academic life back on track.

This interaction opened Kevin’s eyes to who Paterno truly was as a person and mentor and was a big inspiration for starting the Dear JoePa project.  

Existing in a website format, the Dear JoePa project came about after Kevin discovered a box of letters in the Penn State archives after conducting a research project in October of 2024. Within these letters were stories from lettermen who played under Paterno and knew firsthand the content of his character. 

The site is designed so people can share stories and photos of how they have been impacted by Paterno, similar to the letters from former athletes and Kevin’s experience in the frozen yogurt shop.

“Those of us who weren’t his athletes have also been very impacted by his integrity, by his kindness, by his philanthropy, by his caring,” Kevin said. The project serves as both a living memory and a tribute to the late coach. “I really firmly believe that we would not be the university we are today if he hadn’t made that 1983 speech to the Board of Trustees saying we’ve got to make a university that our football team can be proud of.”

During the day, Kevin is a writer and an editor. She finds great joy in reading all of the letters people have sent in for the project, where she edits them for grammar mistakes before uploading them to the website. 

Kevin hopes people will reminisce fondly through reading the stories, just as she has.

“These are meant to be love letters, and that’s all I’ve received. It’s completely amazing,” she said.

While the project will continue to be a celebration of Paterno’s 100th birthday, Kevin has pondered the idea of gifting the letter submissions to the university and Penn State All-Sports Museum.

Alumni are not the only target audience for Dear JoePa. Kevin hopes the site’s mission will extend to younger generations as well, helping to educate and pass down the lessons Paterno brought to the university and central Pennsylvania. In turn, she aspires for an increased sense of Penn State pride among the blue and white community.

Kevin has seen this goal come to fruition through her youngest son, Jack. Jack had always been drawn to the legend of Paterno, so to speak. Paterno’s kindness, decency, and larger-than-life character always intrigued him.

Being on the autism spectrum, one of Jack’s self-stimulatory behaviors was to draw pictures of Paterno. He was a member of the Nittany Lion Kids Club and yearned for a handwritten letter from the legendary coach, something he would receive if he achieved straight As. It was evident Paterno’s value of having a strong work ethic was one trait that made an impression on Jack.

In 2010, Kevin and her son attended the Penn State vs. Maryland game at what was formerly FedEx Field in Maryland. Throughout the game, Jack continued to draw picture upon picture of Paterno and was constantly asking his mom where the coach was standing. 

The next season, Kevin submitted this story of their experience at the game to Penn State in hopes of Jack receiving “Fan of the Game” honors. Lo and behold, he was selected to uphold this title for the Penn State-Illinois game on October 29, 2011, the game that marked the end of Paterno’s tenure.

“It was just such an emotional experience,” Kevin said.

Following Paterno’s passing, Kevin took Jack to a screening of “The Joe We Know,” a film produced by lettermen to thank their coach for, well, everything. At the conclusion of the film, Jack was in tears, moved even further by Paterno’s story. He urged his mother to convince the letterman contributors to share it with the wider community, and Kevin has been running screenings ever since.

So while Kevin has taught her son Paterno’s values and teachings, it is through her son that she developed an even greater respect for the man Paterno was. The Dear JoePa project hopes to continue to forge these familial connections, bridging the generation gap for Penn Staters everywhere.

While the legacy of Paterno will never be a clear one, one thing is for certain. The impact he made on people extended far beyond his work as a coach.

“I find comfort in the fact that his name is on a library,” Kevin said. “I feel like his legacy certainly lives on in some of our culture and some of the way that we approach life, and I really hope that we don’t lose that. It’s part of what makes Penn State so absolutely fabulous.” 

Through continuing to tell stories, Penn Staters can continue to tell Paterno’s.

“That’s where the important growth happens, being open to hearing each other,” Kevin said.

Folks who have been impacted by Paterno in any scope, and would like to submit a letter or an impactful picture, can contribute here to the Dear JoePa project. Submission instructions can be found under the “Tell Us Your Story” tab.