Craig Jordan is no stranger to hard work. Born and raised in East Hartford, Jordan began his extensive career as a member of the ROTC program in college before serving in the Vietnam War. He went on to become the principal of East Hartford High School for a number of years. Jordan has recently come out of retirement to join the Goodwin family as the new veterans coordinator.

In this position, Jordan is responsible for assisting veterans, service members, and dependents with the transition from military to collegiate life at Goodwin. Although he has only been in the position since January 2017, Jordan is already hard at work reaching out to veteran students in the hopes of fostering a greater veteran presence on campus.

“In his short tenure, Craig Jordan has made individual contact with over 50 of our student veterans,” Dean of Students Tamara O’Day-Stevens notes. “Craig’s ability to purposefully engage with our veteran students and connect them to useful resources both on and off campus is the missing link that is now filled in the Student Services Department.”

In addition to his independent duties as the veterans coordinator, Jordan also collaborates with a number of other departments at Goodwin including Counseling Services, the Academic Success Center, and Career Services to provide veteran students with a comprehensive support network. He feels that increasing the number of connections veteran students have on campus is paramount to their success at Goodwin.

In the future, Jordan plans to increase awareness about veteran affairs across all levels of the College as well as encourage veteran students to talk about their experiences with the larger Goodwin community. These efforts will help to break down stereotypes and create a safe space for veterans to connect with their peers. As Jordan puts it, “They were there when we needed them, we must be there now that they need us.”

Learn more about opportunities for veterans at Goodwin College.