Community is a core principle at Seton Hall, with alumni, staff, and students and the tight-knit connections between people make the SHU experience special.
No connection is stronger than family, and no family is as connected to SHU as the Hart family.
With five Hart children and their mom, Tara Hart, all currently at SHU, it’s fair to say their Pirate family is unparalleled.
Tara Hart has worked at SHU for over 20 years and became vice president for strategy and administration in February 2025.
After obtaining her master’s degree from Columbia University, Hart said she applied to work at SHU three times before securing a position in Housing and Residence Life. Still, she knew SHU was the place for her.
“I longed to work with a larger team, at an institution that values community and the development of the whole student as the central purpose,” Hart said.
When Hart began at SHU, she said it was just a fraction of what it is today—an unrenovated University Center, a half-sized parking deck, and a non-air-conditioned Boland Hall.
“To see how the University has grown and yet remained focused on the individual student has been really wonderful,” Hart said.
Throughout her time at SHU, Hart said the Boland Hall Fire in January 2000 left a lasting impact on her.
“It taught me how fragile life can be and how important it is to be grateful for the gift of life,” Hart said. “It was a tragedy from which much good has come.”
In her current role, Hart said her gratefulness applies to managing donor gifts to SHU.
“Providing for our students as they grow in purposeful leadership and experiential learning, as well as the support for faculty excellence, is awe-inspiring,” Hart said.
During her time at SHU, “the most rewarding experiences were when mentoring student leaders led them to the next level in their careers,” she said.
At the start of her time at SHU, Hart said she had mentors of her own, and one of the key pieces of advice she was left with was to embrace the balance between work and home life: “allowing the students to see your family helps them to appreciate the balance you are striking.”
At a Boland Hall Remembrance Mass, Hart said she brought her two oldest children along, and that experiencing it as a mother, not just a community member, was starkly different.
But Hart said she also brought her kids to Pirate Sport Camps over the summer, Blue Days, and other large campus events.
“The first children of employees to light the Christmas tree were mine,” Hart said.
Before her children attended SHU, Hart said each attended a Catholic high school that shared SHU's community-focused ideals.
“I don't think they ever really felt like visitors,” Hart said. “They've been bleeding blue for their whole lives.”
Hart said she knew SHU’s variety of programs would allow each of her children to find a “home” at the Hall, and she never doubted an alum would come out of their family, but as a mom, she was more “surprised how fast that day has arrived.”
Despite six of the Hart family being on campus, she said they are all so busy in their individual endeavors that they rarely see each other during the school day.
“It is what I love about this place—each student has opportunities to carve their own path and journey,” Hart said. “Seton Hall really is a home for the heart, mind and spirit.... I see this place as one of the greatest blessings I've received.”
Even beyond her children, Hart said her family connections to SHU go further, with her younger sister currently pursuing her doctorate and two alumnae nieces—one of whom is set to marry in the chapel later this year.
“Seton Hall has a way of drawing you in, enriching your life and becoming a home,” Hart said. “It is hard for me to envision being anyplace else.”
Of the eight Hart children, five currently attend SHU: Sarah, Catherine, John, Joseph and Patrick.
Sarah Hart, a senior finance and economics major, is one of the oldest of the Hart children. Sarah said her earliest SHU memories began around age five, including Pirate Sports Camp, Christmas Tree Lighting, Blue Day, and even Halloween.
First, Sarah said she fell in love with the women’s basketball team and dreamed of playing for Coach Bozzella after watching their games growing up.
“The Seton Hall Women’s Basketball Team inspired me as [a] young player to play hard and hustle,” Sarah said. “Every year from third to eighth grade, my basketball team would come to see a women’s game all together, and of course, we would stop at Bunny’s for pizza before the games.”
Catherine Hart, a sophomore occupational therapy and social and behavioral sciences major, said she remembered the women’s basketball games followed by the promised trip to Bunny’s, where she and her siblings would use the paper placemats to draw the Pirate logo and play games.
Patrick Hart, a freshman international and homeland security major, said he remembers the Hart family being season ticket holders for the men’s basketball team, even getting the opportunity to get autographs and watch practices in 2019.
“Going to the Prudential Center and seeing the atmosphere of Seton Hall definitely put an influence on me to attend,” Patrick said. “Definitely a core memory.”
Attending SHU was always planned but never forced, Sarah said.
“I didn’t always know what I wanted to study or pursue as a career, but I always wanted to attend Seton Hall,” Sarah said.
SHU played such a large part in Patrick’s life that he said he knew it was the place for him.
“Being raised in this community made me who I am,” Patrick said. “Now I get to live the life of a college student at Seton Hall and I couldn't be happier.”
Going to school where her mom worked was something Sarah said made her nervous at first, thinking it might interfere with the individuality and growth that comes with college, as well as making her mom proud.
“Having her as my mom is the biggest blessing God has given me,” Sarah said. “She is a natural and selfless giver who supports everyone around her.”
Patrick said that his family's presence at the school is a special and important part of his SHU experience.
“My mom is my rock,” Patrick said. “She has worked hard for decades at this school to provide for all of us, and that means everything to me.”
The presence of her mom, Catherine said, gave her an overwhelming sense of support when choosing SHU and now during challenging times at school.
“Outside of the academic realm, she keeps me grounded during times of uncertainty,” Catherine said. “I truly consider her to be one of the main anchors in my life.”
Some of Catherine’s favorite interactions, she said, are when her mother’s colleagues recognize her.
“I feel incredibly blessed to be known as the daughter of such a strong, dedicated woman who is so beloved by the Seton Hall community,” Catherine said.
Catherine said her mother’s coworkers were among the first people, besides her family members, to show them the “true meaning of the Seton Hall community.”
When he got to SHU, Patrick said some challenges were adapting to college life, but over time, the transition smoothed out with the resources provided by the university.
“The friends I've made here is what makes this school special to me,” Patrick said. “If it weren't for SHU, I wouldn't have met these people who I instantly clicked with.”
With multiple siblings at SHU at the same time, Catherine said there is a “home away from home” feeling that creates a built-in support system, even if they don’t see each other often.
“Whether we’re studying in the library or grabbing a coffee during finals week, I never feel alone,” Catherine said. “This immediate safety net has given me the confidence to branch out into new experiences while proudly following in my siblings' footsteps.”
The relationships among her siblings, Catherine said, provided a social foundation to fall back on and to create new relationships.
“By drawing on the stability my siblings provide, I feel empowered to back up my peers and help build up the community around me,” Catherine said.
Going to SHU with his siblings reminds him of middle school, Patrick said, bumping into each other on the green or in the dining hall is just like recess and lunch when they were younger.
“Having each other for support is also a privilege [I’m] very grateful for,” Patrick said.
The family dynamic, Sarah said, is something they celebrate rather than fuss over.
“We all haven’t attended the same school since middle school,” Sarah said. “I love that I get to experience Seton Hall with them.”
Experiencing things she did as a little kid now as a college student, Sarah said, is surreal, especially seeing kids interact with the basketball teams the way she used to.
“I thought meeting the basketball team/cheerleaders was the coolest thing since sliced bread; in my head, they were famous people,” Sarah said. “Now, I have sorority sisters on the cheer and dance teams, and my boyfriend is a manager for the Women’s Basketball team.”
SHU will forever be part of the Hart family legacy, Sarah said.
“I often joke [that] my siblings and I will be successful enough in our careers so we can name a building on campus,” Sarah said. “The odds should be in our favor with 5 and counting.”
Hasini Gokavarapu is a writer for The Setonian’s Features section. He can be reached at hasini.gokavarapu@student.shu.edu.
Solomon Lee is the Advertising Manager for The Setonian. He can be reached at solomon.lee@student.shu.edu.
Lakyn Austin, head editor of the Features section, contributed to reporting.
