This is absolutely my favorite time of year. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in the air–it’s a new beginning for those of you joining us for the first time, and a return home for those coming back to the distinctive mix of routine and discovery that college life brings. And, as a lifelong Jersey Shore resident, I’ll admit I also love this season because it’s “local summer,” when the beaches are at their quietest and best. 

Dear Douglass Community,

This is absolutely my favorite time of year. There’s a palpable sense of possibility in the air as students arrive on campus. For first-year and transfer students, it’s a brand-new beginning. For continuing students, it’s a return to their campus home, to that distinctive mix of routine and discovery that college life offers. And, as a lifelong Jersey Shore resident, I’ll admit I also love this season because it’s “local summer,” when the beaches are at their quietest and best.

This past month, Douglass welcomed 667 new students to our community! Watch highlights from Welcome Days 2025 below. 

Dear Douglass Students,

Welcome to Rutgers! I’m Megan Coyne, a proud Douglass alumna from the Class of 2019. After graduating with a degree in political science, I ran social media for Governor Murphy and later served in the White House Office of Digital Strategy under President Biden. None of this was on my radar when I first started at Rutgers – and none of it would have been possible without Douglass.

For Jaiden Radocyz DRC’26, Douglass is the ideal place at Rutgers to develop the leadership skills necessary for advancing personal, professional, and community futures. Whether they are curating an exhibit in the Douglass library through the Faculty Fellows program or serving as a peer mentor for their fellow Douglass students, they exemplify what effective feminist leadership looks like across campus.

“It is just so important to have spaces like Douglass,” she said. “It’s a community that’s open to discussion, where being passionate is encouraged, and your lived experience is celebrated. To be a leader, you need to know and learn about yourself as well as your community. Douglass is the place to do that.”