Syracuse Sun

Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement will honor seven distinguished alumni during the Coming Back Together (CBT) reunion from September 12-15. The triennial event, which welcomes Black and Latino alumni back to campus, celebrates their achievements, fosters connections with current students, and maintains ties with the university.

The 2024 CBT marks the 14th such reunion. In 2021, it raised $1.29 million for the Our Time Has Come scholarship. This year’s honorees include Abdul K. Abdullah ’10, Ada Agrait ’94, Tara Favors ’95, JaNeika James G’05, Jason Olivo ’95, and Savalle Sims ’92, who will receive Alumni Awards. Sade Muhammad ’12 will be recognized with the Young Alumni Award.

Chancellor Kent Syverud will celebrate the awardees at the “Shades of Orange Sneaker Ball” fundraising gala on Saturday, September 14, in the JMA Wireless Dome. "I am so pleased to celebrate these outstanding alumni at the 2024 Coming Back Together reunion," said Chancellor Syverud. "Each of these awardees... inspires the next generation of leaders."

Rachel Vassel, associate vice president in the Office of Multicultural Advancement added: "These individuals have achieved phenomenal success while also finding time to give back to current students and stay connected with the University and their fellow alumni."

Abdul K. Abdullah is noted for founding AfroFuture Fest in Accra, Ghana. The festival has significantly contributed to Ghana's tourism revenue and job creation since its inception in 2017.

Ada Agrait serves as executive vice president and global head of corporate marketing for SAP since 2022 and has been active in various professional roles prior to this position.

Tara Favors has held prominent human resources positions at Mutual of America Financial Group and American Express among others.

JaNeika James is an executive producer on Peacock’s “Bel-Air” and has a background in television production with her twin sister JaSheika James.

Jason Olivo is a senior vice president for investments at JPMorgan Chase Bank since 2003 and has been involved in multiple financial services roles over his career.

Savalle Sims oversees global legal teams as executive vice president and general counsel for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Sade Muhammad holds the role of chief marketing and impact officer at Time magazine where she leads new sales products development including events and content platforms.

Over four days of CBT activities include workshops, receptions, social events, cultural activities such as a celebrity basketball game featuring Roy Wood Jr., a comedy show fundraiser gala awards ceremony, and a Sunday worship service featuring Grammy-winning gospel artist Erica Campbell.

For more information about CBT events visit the Coming Back Together 2024 website.