I write you this letter today with a heavy heart and the most upsetting news that a president of a university ever has to deliver. Gregory Harder, a sophomore at Alvernia University, passed away unexpectedly, and our hearts are broken to learn of his passing. Our entire campus community, as well as those who knew Gregory personally, is inconsolably upset by the news of his untimely passing. We would like to extend our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to his family and to everyone else who knew him.
We have been in communication with the Harder family, and Alvernia has extended an offer of support. In the coming days, we will provide the Alvernia community with an update on how you can help support the Harder family. A memorial service in honor of Gregory’s memory will be held early on during the semester that begins in the spring. The details of the memorial service will be communicated to Alvernia students via email. We as a community are saying prayers for Gregory’s family, friends, and teammates, asking God to bring them peace and healing during this difficult time.
In addition to this, we will set up a Tribute Board for the Harder family so that people from our community can post their thoughts, favorite photos, and videos of Gregory there. In addition to playing football for the university, Gregory was also working toward earning his master’s degree in athletic training. He couldn’t have been happier to be able to work toward a degree in a field that he cared so deeply about. Greg is an outstanding student who was recognized for his academic performance in the fall of 2021-22 by being named to the Middle Atlantic Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. He earned this honor once again for his academic performance this fall.