Josh Harraman
Photography by John O’boyle

This year, as the world turned upside down, there were moments when I felt time moving at a different pace. March and April went by in a blur as the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed how I interacted with the world around me. And then over the summer, time slowed to a crawl as our nation embarked on a racial reckoning ignited by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. 

Uncertainty and even fear remain in the air—and the year isn’t quite over. Still, looking back on the harrowing kaleidoscope of events that defined 2020, I see how often I drew strength from the Rutgers community. Time and time again, I reached out to Rutgers colleagues and alumni for some perspective or a few words of wisdom and received exactly what I needed.

I hope you feel the same way as you read the following pages. You will hear from Rutgers alumni about their thoughts, hopes, and concerns during these times. You will find the range of human experience, from optimism to anger, from sadness to serenity. When people reflect on pivotal moments with honesty, this is what you get.

The brightest moment of the year came when Rutgers welcomed its dynamic new president. Jonathan S. Holloway could not have taken the helm at a more challenging time—but I think he will agree that adversity provides the edge we all use to define ourselves. As Jonathan’s vision for our community takes shape, I know you will stand with me in helping support and strengthen it.

Sometimes it takes turning our lives upside down to show us what kind of people we are.

Scarlet forever,

Josh Harraman

Vice President for Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, and Advancement Communications