Ebony Lewis Finds Her Calling and Support Network at Cerritos College
After graduating from Carson High School in 2004, Ebony Lewis worked as a 911 dispatcher
and in banking and adult rehabilitation to cultivate a better life for her son. She
then worked for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California
Institution for Women, simultaneously performing roles in administration and as a
self-help facilitator working with female offenders for five and a half years in Victorville.
When Ebony had her daughter in 2019, she realized she needed a sustainable change in her career that allowed her the flexibility of being more present with her family. She reimagined herself as a college graduate and enrolled back into college. Ebony chose Cerritos College when she remembered a high school friend who once attended the campus.
The only concern she had about moving back to Los Angeles County to attend Cerritos College was affording rent. It was 2020 when the College began offering housing assistance to students experiencing housing insecurity in partnership with Jovenes. Thanks to the partnership, Ebony was able to receive rent assistance for an apartment in Lakewood to study at Cerritos College. Her daughter, who was two years old at that time, qualified for priority enrollment at the College’s Child Development Center and has received affordable, quality care while she studies.
Real estate was Ebony’s choice as she wanted a career that would make a lasting impact on people’s lives. She learned various avenues and aspects of real estate at Cerritos College and is currently gaining hands-on experience at Berkshire Hathaway as part of Professor Mary Ellen Brady’s internship program.
Faced with adversity, there were times Ebony found herself on the precipice of quitting, but her unrelenting drive to succeed would not bring her to do so. She also found a helping hand with the Falcon’s Nest. “Due to finances, I found it difficult to focus and continue with my education, but with the housing support and other assistance I received from the Falcon’s Nest, I made it through,” said Ebony.
Between studying, internship, and caring for her family, Ebony finds time to work on her second novel, My Life REALLY is Rainbows and Butterflies, a non-fiction about her sashay to self-discovery and transformation. Her first novel Truth Revealed, published in 2021 is a fiction about second chances at life and maintaining relationships. Ebony also served as the 65th commencement speaker for the Cerritos College Commencement Ceremony.
Ebony is graduating with associate degrees in business management and real estate, a certificate of achievement in business essentials, and a California real estate license. Her goal is to be a top-performing realtor known and respected for exceeding the expectations of her clients in helping them find their dream homes.
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