TOM DORMER - ONE OF A KIND! 

Tom Dormer

The 27-year-old communications major is the first of his kind at Glendale Community College (GCC) in many ways, but it may not be immediately apparent just by looking at him.

He is not the first captain of the school’s soccer team.

He is not the first member of the Associated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC) board. But he might be the first to be both of those things while also being a person who was previously incarcerated.

His journey from lock-up to the classroom has not been without bumps in the road. The Milwaukee, Wis. native served four years behind bars for an armed robbery with a fake gun. When he got out of prison at age 25, he tried to go back to school in his home state but his school counselors did not believe he was a good fit for college.

Then he met former GCC Dean of Student Services Robert Hill, and his life changed.

“(Hill) said, ‘Listen, I think you’re somebody special’,” said Dormer. “What can I do to get you to come to our school?”

Suddenly Dormer’s life changed. Someone believed in him and that belief helped him to believe in himself too. Dormer enrolled in the Re-entry program at GCC, a program designed to help previously incarcerated individuals get on the pathway to higher education or career training. His dreams of playing collegiate-level soccer started to become real again, in spite of a torn ACL, an injury sustained while in prison.

He joined GCC’s soccer team and within one week was captain. He started to feel empowered to talk about his story once he realized that there were others around that were like him.

“I finally had a platform,” he said. “At the end of the day, you can talk all you want but you have to be able to back it up. And now I could back it up.”

Not long after he joined the team, he joined ASGCC board where he helps with the allocation of funding for clubs and groups. He is active in the Re-entry Program social group, where he interacts with other previously incarcerated people. He currently is employed by the college and helps to manage the social media accounts for the program. Because of his incarceration history and leadership roles, Dormer said he feels compelled to speak out on behalf of minority students and others in the Re-entry Program to ensure equal treatment for all students.

“At the end of the day, you can talk all you want but you have to be able to back it up. And now I could back it up.”

“I want students to know that this is 50/50,” Dormer said.

“I just took a step back and said we need the college but you need a good student base as well for a college to flourish.”

Dormer said he hopes to continue to play soccer and is currently eyeing four-year college programs now. If it had not been for the support that GCC has provided, Dormer said he is not sure where he would be now.

“GCC has changed my life for the good,” he said. “This school has made a good impact on my life overall. I’m blessed.”