As an adult learner and transitioning veteran I have found Rutgers-Camden to be the most ideal campus of one of the most widely recognized public universities in the nation. I am a native of Philadelphia and graduated from Woodstown High School in 1999; I served as an enlisted Marine from 2000 to 2006; and was deputized as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal while employed as an armed physical security contractor for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC from 2007 to 2009. In 2009 I became privy to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill that was scheduled to go into effect in August of that year. Against the advice of almost everyone I know, I decided to leave my six-digit salary at the Department of Justice, sell everything I own, and move back home to complete my undergraduate education. Ultimately, I decided to major in sociology and minor in public administration. I still remember the anxiety of entering college after a decade-long gap in academia in which I had become vastly ignorant to the arts, sciences, and mathematics. However, Rutgers-Camden has facilitated success from day one. There is a dedicated staff that handles veteran issues to aid those in transition; there is free tutoring available to anyone who needs it; and there are countless other resources made available to all students to simplify the ambiguities of college life. I will complete the last of my degree requirements on July 19th, 2012, and, to date, I have managed to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.96, a major GPA of 4.0, and a minor GPA of 4.0. I was also given the opportunity to obtain practical experience in casework and constituent service as a congressional intern, and received the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of my military service. Overall, regardless of where I go from here, I am confident that Rutgers-Camden has given me the foundation necessary to succeed.
About Armand Basualdo
Hometown: Upper Pittsgrove Township, NJ
Major: Sociology
Minors: Public Administration and Government Service
Expected University College Graduation Date: October 2012
Mr. Basualdo is an active member of Veterans for Education, the Criminal Justice Organization, and the Rutgers Masonic Club. In May 2012 he was inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda, the honor society of University College.