Joe Gallo

This is Joe’s story…
“When I first graduated high school in 2006, I enrolled at Brookdale in hopes of figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I failed to take advantage of the opportunity given to me. I had always wanted to enlist in the military, so in 2010 I enrolled in the Air Force.
After 4 years of serving my country, I got out in 2014 with a new mindset to do great things. I wanted to start my own life coaching business and create my own path to success. Fortunately, the GI Bill I earned from my service enabled me to go to whatever school I wanted. I chose Brookdale because I knew it was a great school and I felt I had to prove something to my younger self. I enrolled as a communication major and this time I would take my classes more serious. I made Dean’s List my first 3 semesters back with a 4.0 GPA. Not bad considering I failed out 8 years earlier. Not only that, but I also made some really great friends along the way because I pushed myself to meet new people and be more engaging in conversation with my classmates.

I eventually transferred to another college as a “communications major” but I honestly did not enjoy my experience there. In early-2019, I made my THIRD return to Brookdale, this time taking some business classes so I could have a better sense of how to run my new business and podcast. Upon returning again, I started hanging out at the Veteran Center on campus more often so I could help other veteran-students succeed in class and in life. I was soon voted in as Secretary of the Veteran Club and have been doing my best to ensure that the vets on campus have all of the tools they need to not only succeed in the classroom, but also OUTSIDE of the classroom. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences and I’ve met so many more amazing people that want to help others.

Brookdale, along with a newfound healthy mindset, has empowered me to do so many things that I never thought possible!” #SoulsOfBrookdale