Dave DeMatteo HOWELL - An unexpected twist in the journey of life prompted Dave DeMatteo to return to school in January 2005 at the age of 32.

DeMatteo, 35, of Howell, worked for more than a decade as a corrections officer for the Middlesex County Department of Corrections until he was injured in an incident involving an inmate. His injuries required surgery and a two-year period of recovery.

In the meantime he worked two parttime jobs. One job was as a technician in the Monmouth Medical Center Emergency Room in Long Branch, and the other was as a substitute security guard for the Jackson Board of Education.

Nevertheless, with a wife and two small children, and only a high school education to his credit, DeMatteo said he knew that he had to make a change.

During his search for another opportunity, DeMatteo applied to the state Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. After being evaluated, De- Matteo was deemed eligible for retraining.

"I started the process of applying, interviewing and taking aptitude tests for approval into the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation program. I was then approved for college-level retraining and had to almost immediately decide what path I wanted to pursue," said DeMatteo, who is married to Kelley and has two sons, Dylan, 7, and Connor, 2.

With more than 20 years of experience in emergency medicine, it seemed only natural for DeMatteo to enter Brookdale Community College's nursing program.

"I have been a member of the Howell First Aid and Rescue Squad No. 1 since 1986. I was 14 years old then," DeMatteo said. "The career change was unexpected, but because I had a background volunteering for my local emergency medical service, I chose nursing."

That choice paid off and led to DeMatteo's selection as an outstanding student from the school's Health Sciences Division. He was recognized during Brookdale's commencement on May 18 by college President Peter Burnham.

According to information provided by Brookdale Community College, DeMatteo achieved straight A grades and earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He became the first member of his family to graduate from college.

"I thought I would be a corrections officer for the rest of my life. I loved that job. But I was thrown back into school. Although I was a little apprehensive, I'm glad I did it," he said.

"I shocked myself by how well I was doing. I credit it all to a really good study group. We all helped each other along the way. It was a long struggle, but we all strengthened each other," he added.

DeMatteo said he would encourage any adult who is considering furthering his or her education to do it.

In fact, he plans to continue his education beyond his associate's degree.

"I intend to obtain my bachelor's degree in nursing, and perhaps go beyond that. I am still exploring the schools I will be applying to," DeMatteo said.