As a third-grader, Brandon Blood dressed up as a fish-and-game officer for a career-day program at his grade school. Ever since, he’s thought about pursuing a career in law enforcement.
Now at age 22, he’s on the cusp of making that happen thanks to Great Bay Community College. After transferring to Great Bay two years ago, Blood graduates this month with an associate degree in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Homeland Security.
“My goal is to work in a local police department or sheriff’s office. Working as a fish-and-game officer would be great, too,” said Blood, who lives in Stratham and completed an internship with the Somersworth Police Department.
Blood’s success story is a testament to the benefits of a community college education. He was drawn to Great Bay’s affordability, flexibility, and its promise of small class sizes. He thrived once he arrived.
But it wasn’t his first choice. After graduating from high school, he started his college experience at a small four-year college in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York. He enjoyed the one year he spent there, but it was too far from home—and expensive. He returned to New Hampshire and enrolled in a large state university. That didn’t work out, either. After one semester, he transferred to Great Bay.
“It was too big and too expensive. I had to take out a massive loan, and it just wasn’t right for me,” he said. “People told me about Great Bay, and when I looked into it, I saw they offered a degree in Criminal Justice. That really interested me.”
He began taking classes in 2023. His advisor arranged for the transfer of his transcripts from high school and both colleges and helped him pick his classes. “There was no stress at all,” he said. “It was so easy.”
Unlike at the other schools, at Great Bay he didn’t have any loans to pay back. “I was able to pay as I go, semester by semester,” he said. “And unlike any other courses I have taken in college, at Great Bay nearly all my classes allowed me to attend either in person, remotely, or 100-percent online. It was very flexible, which allowed me to work full time while I was going to school.”
The best part, all his professors had real-world experience, and nearly all of them were working in the field while teaching at Great Bay. “It was very nice to know they are coming directly from their work in law enforcement to teach you what they just saw that day. They’re not just reading from a slideshow, they are sharing their own stories and experiences and discussing the topics based on their experiences. It’s nice to know that you are not learning from a textbook, but from their actual experiences in the field.”
Blood especially appreciated the one-on-one attention offered by professor Eric Kulberg, Chair of the Criminal Justice Department. “He’s thorough and fair, and he treats you like a friend. He guides you through the classes, helps with internships, and is always available to answer questions. He is one of the top professors I have ever had,” he said.