Massachusetts

Harvard Police Officer, New Freshman Recreate Old Photo

Little did Crystal Wang know that a photo taken when she was 3 would have such meaning so many years later.

The photo was taken in Harvard Yard back in 2004, when Crystal accompanied her father to Cambridge, Massachusetts, on a business trip.

"This is amazing that this happened, just by chance, 15 years ago," said Wang. "My dad just thought it was a cute, fun thing to get a picture with a police officer, and he was very nice and welcoming."

Fast forward to today. Wang, a Texas native, is a freshman at Harvard University. When she posted the photo on Instagram, a reporter from the Harvard Gazette reached out.

"She said, 'This officer actually still works at Harvard, and we would love to reconnect you guys and do a story about it,'" said the 18-year-old.

So Wang and longtime campus police officer Charles Marren reunited in the same spot of their first encounter when she arrived on campus to start school.

"It was just a really heartwarming, really amazing time. He told me all about his stories being in the Harvard University Policy Department," said Wang. "I told him about my journey getting to Harvard."

Wang is a singer and shared a copy of her album; Marren shared his phone number in case she ever needs an officer.

"I think we found a really natural connection," she said.

Their reunion photo has now been seen around the world, with more than 50,000 likes on Harvard's Instagram alone.

"I feel like it was fate," said Wang. "It was meant to be."

Contact Us