Success Stories

The first time William Dennis Brown Jr. rode on an airplane was when he flew to Great Lakes, Illinois, for U.S. Navy boot camp. The long days of boot camp dragged on and he had to endure his fair share of push-ups. During the nightly chow times, when talking was forbidden, the television screens repeatedly showed documentaries on the Navy SEALs. The SEALs where shown driving fast boats, jumping out of air planes, diving underneath ships, and running on the beach. To a young and energetic guy who was being yelled at all day in boot camp, the prospect of this seemed very enticing. From that day forward, he was determined to be a Navy SEAL.

William arrived at SEAL training young and naive. For the next eight years, he would constantly have to break through many levels of barriers to accomplish his goals. His class started out with over 200 motivated, strong young men and graduated with only 29 "Frogmen". It was during those long, cold nights where he learned a lot about himself. As mentally and physically demanding as the first phase of training was, he found the later phases of training the most challenging. The harsh and brutal SEAL instructors taught him an important reality in life - that being mentally and academically competent was not only respected, it was required.

After serving honorably, he realized that if he continued in the Navy he may never have the opportunity to complete a college education. After his enlistment, he decided get his feet wet by attending a community college. "I ate a lot of humble pie, and was forced to take four remedial courses," he said. However, given his focus and work ethic, he received an associate's degree with the highest honors from Burlington County Community College.

William's father is a Certified Public Accountant and a Rutgers Alum who always praised the academic programs at Rutgers University. William grew up knowing that Rutgers was a respected university. After finishing his associate's degree, he applied to University College at Rutgers-Camden. After all the mental and physical challenges of being a US Navy SEAL, he knew that he was finally prepared to complete a bachelor's degree. William has successfully completed five courses with a GPA of 3.9, along with an internship for the Republican 5th District Elector for State Senator, Hans Berg. During his first semester at Rutgers, a friend and he started the Veterans for Education group. The group supported a Rutgers package drive to send goods to the men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan during the holidays. "Attending Rutgers is a tradition for my family and while there are times when I reminisce about my adventures in the military, I'm fascinated and proud by the experience I've had at Rutgers. I am proud to continue that family tradition," said William. -William Dennis Brown Jr., University College student, c/o 2009

For more information about Veterans for Education at Rutgers University-Camden, please visit their website at www.veterans4education.org.