Major: Journalism
When alumnus Dan Brodhead first enrolled at County College of Morris (CCM), he had already completed his freshman year at Rowan University in Glassboro. At Rowan, he was a student athlete involved in outdoor and indoor track and field, which he had also participated in at West Morris Central High School in Chester. However, Brodhead decided to transfer to CCM after what he described honestly as “horrible student” behavior at Rowan.
Both Brodhead and his parents agreed that it was not fair for his parents to be paying a high tuition, while he was not performing up to his full potential. At CCM, Brodhead truly evolved into an excellent student. He took classes at CCM that intrigued him enough that after receiving an associate degree in Journalism at CCM, he changed his major to Public Relations upon transferring back to Rowan for his junior year. This choice was also inspired by his experience as a Public Relations student intern in the Marketing and Public Relations (MPR) department.
In combination with his on-campus MPR internship and courses, Brodhead believes that CCM inspired him to “knuckle down and really focus on his work,” ultimately guiding him to graduate with an exceptional 3.5 GPA, a dramatic upgrade from his subpar 2.0 GPA at Rowan. As a student intern, Brodhead had an unusual perspective on day-to-day operations at CCM. He was fascinated by the fact that as an intern, he was able to frequently interact with administrators and high-ranking faculty, which students typically do not regularly do.
He made it a deliberate goal of his to communicate with CCM President Anthony J. Iacono at any given opportunity. Having had such a transformative experience at CCM, Brodhead is sure on his stance that CCM provides a superior education. In comparison to four-year schools, which students often weigh against community colleges, he believes CCM is capable of rivaling any university with its education, opportunities and overall price.
“The biggest takeaway of being at CCM is taking advantage of what the school has to offer whether it be their tutoring services, getting internships or networking with faculty,” Brodhead explained, having first-hand experienced those benefits. Prospective students may fall into the false belief that since CCM is a commuter and community college, it will not be as challenging or opportunity-bound as a four-year college – Brodhead denies this falsehood. “Just because it’s a commuter school doesn’t mean the level of work is easier than a four-year school,” he said. “For the money you spend, you will get a top quality education that rivals any four-year school.”