When Brookdale Community College alumnus David Logan began exploring colleges in 2019, he wasn’t sure higher education was meant for him. High School was difficult and later earned his diploma through the High School Proficiency Exam, Logan approached college cautiously, “shopping around” institutions before moving from California across the country.
The moment everything shifted came the first time he set foot on Brookdale’s campus, when he found himself welcomed and supported in the Veterans Center.
“The very first thing I really hit on was the veterans’ office,” Logan recalled. Though not a veteran himself, he enrolled at Brookdale using Chapter 35 VA Dependents’ Educational Assistance benefits, a program that supports children of service-connected disabled veterans. With both his parents rated 100% disabled from their military service, Logan qualified for benefits twice, an exceptionally rare designation in a program typically awarded only once per parent.
His dual eligibility placed him in a uniquely small national cohort, fewer than 10 students in the country, per what he was told by VA representatives, with a benefits case complex enough that other colleges struggled to navigate it.
At Brookdale, he found something different.
“They were put together. They knew what they were talking about. And they were there to help,” he said. “Being able to walk in, explain my situation, and have them not only understand it but be willing to lean in. That set Brookdale a mile apart.”
Originally from California, Logan relocated to New Jersey as his wife, then fiancée, was studying at New York University. “The options were: move here, go to school, get married, or figure out another path,” Logan said. “This felt like the best one.”
He initially enrolled under the School of Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), briefly listing computer science as a potential major before discovering his true academic home in psychology, a subject he already explored professionally through civilian work supporting U.S. military psychological operations training in California. His role focused on teaching soldiers how to build rapport with civilian populations abroad, identify threats, and keep both civilians and service members safe.
That lived experience gave depth to his Brookdale classroom discussions, often lingering 45 minutes or more after class to connect coursework to real-world applications.
“I found that I really enjoyed learning. I loved school. My professors were wonderful,” he said. Those faculty mentorships, and his time as a career tutor and student worker in the Career and Leadership Development (CLD) department, helped him gain academic confidence, sharpen his interest in workforce development, and better understand students navigating nonlinear paths, financial barriers, and nontraditional entry points into higher education.
After graduating from Brookdale in 2021 with an Associate of Arts in Psychology, Logan continued at Rutgers, pursuing his bachelor’s degree through the Brookdale-Rutgers University partnership. He completed his degree at Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations, focusing on labor-management relations and workforce systems that support student career mobility.
After two years with University Human Resources in New Brunswick, supporting researchers and student workers, Logan transitioned to Rutgers School of Health Professions in Newark, shifting his focus to Student Affairs. There, he continues supporting graduate and high school students, coordinating scholarship awards, and working across system integrations and registrar functions.
When Logan reflects on Brookdale’s new brand campaign, Be Supported. Be Successful. Be Brookdale, he thinks about the support that shaped his journey.
“It reminds me of what I want to be,” Logan said. “It reminds me how supported I felt at Brookdale, and it makes me want to instill that same feeling in the students I interact with every day.”