Belleville Man And Twin Overcome Struggles, Earn College Degrees

BELLEVILLE, NJ — When it comes down to it, Ja’Van Drakeford did it for his son.

Recently, the Belleville resident and his identical twin brother, Ja’Von Drakeford, of Haskell, earned criminal justice degrees from Berkeley College, completing a long-but-rewarding path for the siblings.

Ja’Van first attended a public four-year college in New Jersey, where he was a student-athlete.

“I played football and it was a distraction … I really didn’t focus on the right thing,” he recalled, describing his early academic struggles.

Drakeford then attended a community college, before taking time off from school to focus on his newborn son’s birth. Afterwards, like his brother and older sister before them, he enrolled at Berkeley College, which he credited with helping him stay on track this time.

Now, the Belleville resident is on his way to a career as an accountant – or possibly working for the FBI.

“To be the parent my son needs and deserves, I realized I had to get back in school,” emphasized Ja’Van, who said he was motivated to get a more financially stable career and be a role model for his 3-year-old child.

It wasn’t easy. But he got a boost from his brother, who attended college at the same time.

“He’s really my best friend,” said Ja’Van. “Taking classes together was definitely a support system. He had my back, I had his back.”

His twin agreed.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy class with their sibling, especially with him being my twin brother,” said Ja’Von, who plans to start a career as an occupational therapy assistant. “We would just bounce ideas off each other and that’s how we got good grades. We stuck together.”

The brothers said they're excited about commencement, and look forward to having their family cheer them on during an in-person outdoor ceremony at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Thursday.

“Looking back three years ago, I would have never thought I would be in this position,” Ja’Van Drakeford said. “Being able to walk across the stage with a college degree is amazing.”

• See related article: New Jersey Triplets Graduate College At Same Time, Make History
• See related article: NJ Quintuplets Stick Together, Earn Free Ride To Montclair State

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