Haddonfield Man Named Rutgers-Camden Outstanding Student Veteran

HADDONFIELD, NJ — A Haddonfield resident has been named Rutgers University-Camden’s outstanding male student veteran for 2020, the college announced Wednesday morning.

Joshua Redlich was selected by his peers to receive the top student award from the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs at Rutgers University–Camden, according to the college. Theresa Trujillo, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was selected as the outstanding female student veteran.

Redlich, a student in the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program at Rutgers–Camden, was recognized for his support of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs and the student veterans organization campus.

“This is incredibly humbling,” Redlich said. “It’s hard to say that I deserve this award more than anyone else, but I appreciate the honor very much.”

Redlich wasn’t born in Haddonfield. He grew up in Stony Lake, Michigan, and served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2017. While in the army, he attained the rank of E-4 specialist. For much of that time, he was the member of an infantry mortar platoon — rising to team leader of his unit — at Grafenwoehr Training Area, a U.S. Army training base located near Grafenwöhr, Germany.

After completing active duty, Redlich moved to Haddonfield, where he soon discovered that he missed the camaraderie of the military and joined the U.S. Army reserves. In addition, he earned an associate’s degree in biology from Rowan College at Burlington County in 2018.

“My time at RCBC was great," Redlich said in a statement issued by Rowan College at Burlington County. "It's hard to pick specific memories that stand out, but one thing I remember is the huge diversity of friends I made while I was there. I had my normal ‘clique’ that I studied with every day, but there were also many times when I was studying alone and a group of students playing video games in the break area would invite me over to play. The friendly atmosphere and inclusiveness is definitely what I remember most.”

Redlich was then drawn to Rutgers–Camden for its high marks in the veteran community — including distinctions as a Purple Heart University and a Military Friendly School — and pursued a bachelor’s degree in health sciences.

While on campus, Redlich has dedicated himself to helping out the student veteran community in any way possible, including participating in a variety of scholarship fundraising activities. He said he especially appreciates how everyone looks out for one another.

“It really is a tight-knit group,” Redlich said. “If ever anyone needs help with anything, such as studying, everyone always makes it a priority.”

Upon graduating in 2019, Redlich was accepted into Rutgers–Camden’s accelerated nursing program.

“I decided to pursue nursing because of the huge variety of opportunities it offers. There is always another degree, certificate or speciality training to be earned, and each one opens up a new door to countless career paths. I also like to travel and move around a lot, so being able to find work nearly anywhere in the world was also a huge draw to the field,” Redlich said.

He said it has been especially rewarding serving in the university’s Veterans Serving Veterans Fellowship Program. He plans to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice and continue working in a career serving the veterans population.

“I am not sure how I stack up to the rest of the Rutgers vets, but it has definitely inspired me to live up to the standard that my peers who have received this award in the past have set. I am just looking forward to things returning to normal, so I can continue to work with the vet community at Rutgers and continue to ‘earn’ this award,” Redlich said.

With the rigorous workload from the accelerated nursing program, he tries to make time for himself each day to go to the gym.

“It’s basically my reset button. It's the one place I can forget the craziness of the world and take my mind off school for a while,” Redlich said.

As for his future plans, Redlich aims to apply to Rutgers University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program after completing his ABSN. And, of course, he hopes to apply his nursing skillset to make a difference in the lives of veterans.

“I plan on applying to a few different VA hospitals in the area. I really want to work with veterans and do what I can to give back to the community that has done so much for me,” Redlich said.

Trujillo, a 2020 graduate of Rutgers–Camden with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, was recognized for her dedicated service to her fellow student veterans in the university’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. She routinely helps them with their government benefits, as well as available resources from area agencies and organizations.

In April 2013, Trujillo was deployed as a U.S. Army specialist to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. There, she would serve as a financial management technician, working with local and foreign vendors — such as those providing the goods and services on the base — to ensure that they followed the proper procedures in order to receive payment.

In January 2014, Trujillo returned stateside, where she continued serving as a financial service representative. Although never passionate about finance, she says, she did discover her true career aspiration — and that is to work as a high school history teacher. Upon being honorably discharged in September 2018, Trujillo arrived at Rutgers–Camden shortly thereafter to pursue her degree.