Harlem to higher ed: Ebony Chappel's inspiring journey to graduation

ATLANTA - A grandmother has been on an incredible journey she once thought was not possible for her. Ebony Chappel will be graduating from Clark Atlanta University this weekend. 

The 48-year-old is a non-traditional student who survived a fire and suffered a mini-stroke, all during her college matriculation. She said she never let go of her dream of going to college. 

The Harlem native had a rough beginning. Chappel grew up poor and ended up dropping out of high school after she got in trouble. She was raped at 16, dropped out of high school at 17, and had her first baby at 18. 

"Originally in Harlem, I went to Martin Luther King High School, and I got into some trouble, and I got kicked out, and I had to go to an alternative school," Chappel reflected. 

She went on to have three children and six grandchildren, then in 2019 she got her GED after working as a hairdresser, where she even got to style Stevie Wonder's hair. She started her own clothing manufacturing business, and finally applied to her dream school of Clark Atlanta University. 

"I didn't know with having a GED that I could get into a prestigious school like this. I hadn't taken the SAT or ACT. But I came at the right time because normally they would, but coming in right after COVID, I didn't have to," the graduate said. 

Chappel studied Fashion Design at CAU and experienced many bumps in the road, including a fire and a health scare during the pandemic. 

"I was making so many masks and giving them away and making them for people that I wound up having a stroke," Chappel revealed. 

This weekend, her lifelong dream will become reality. 

"My next step is getting my masters in business and then after that I am going to get my masters in fashion and go to Paris," the 48-year-old said. 

Chappel says her experience at CAU was so impactful that she ultimately wants to return and teach.