From Survivor to Scholar: Lynnette Bautista is Reclaiming Her Life and Dreams
For Lynnette Bautista, the path to academic success was not a straight line, but a
courageous climb through some of life’s most difficult terrain. Her experience is
one of remarkable transformation. After graduating from Paramount High School, she
faced a decade marked by extreme hardship, including seven years in a controlled and
abusive relationship. The abuse was not only physical and emotional but financial;
despite having assets in her name, she eventually had to leave with nothing but a
diaper bag to protect herself and her two young daughters.
"We tend not to speak up because we've been so silent for so long... we had to be silent," Lynnette reflects on the challenges domestic violence survivors face.
Her breaking point came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she realized she had to leave to save her life and her children's. In 2021, she seized the first opportunity to leave and began the arduous process of rebuilding her life from scratch.
Rebuilding required help, and Lynnette found it through the Human Services Association (HSA) and the Department of Public Social Services, which provided her with resources and social skills to move forward. This support eventually led her back to education. In the spring of 2024, she enrolled at Cerritos College to build her confidence and social connections. At Cerritos, she became a vital part of the campus community, joining several programs, including EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs, and Falcon’s Nest, which provided educational and financial support, as well as Phi Theta Kappa, and engaging in workshops on stress management and personal growth. Today, Lynnette works as a CARE assistant at the EOPS office, using her experience to support other student parents.
While Lynnette once dreamed of being a homicide detective, her experiences with financial abuse and the complexities of the legal system shifted her focus to finance. She aims to understand how wealth operates to help low-income families and domestic violence survivors reclaim their identities. Her ultimate goal is to become a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and establish a foundation in her daughters' names to help others rebuild their lives.
Lynnette’s greatest motivation remains her two daughters, ages seven and eight. "I want to show them that no matter what you go through, you can change your life," she says. Her hard work has already earned significant recognition; she is a semifinalist for the renowned Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship and has received the Soroptimist's Live Your Dream Award, the Judy McDonnell Scholarship, and the Cerritos College Foundation’s Ellen Carver Scholarship. Lynnette has maintained a 4.0 GPA while juggling motherhood, work, and her studies. She has been named to both the President’s and Dean’s Lists. As she transfers to California State University, Long Beach, to pursue a degree in finance, she will also participate in the University Honors Program.
Proudly serving as the 2026 commencement speaker, Lynnette no longer fears sharing her story. She views her past not as a burden but as a series of lessons that forged her resilience.
"I am very proud," Lynnette says. "I just think that's what I want to share with the world... Everyone can start over."