STCC inspired financial consultant and entrepreneur to give back to community

by Jim Danko

Springfield, MA (01/06/2022) — Springfield Technical Community College offered Julius D. Lewis an opportunity to reinvent himself.

His degrees from STCC put him on the pathway to a successful career in finance. He transferred from STCC to the prestigious Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Today, Lewis operates JDL Financial, working as an independent financial consultant specializing in insurance products, which includes retirement consultation and strategies. Lewis is the creator and co-host of "The Lewis and Morrow Financial Hour," heard on WTCC, 90.7 FM, on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. On April 23, Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services in Springfield will honor Lewis and accountant Tom Morrow with a social justice award for entrepreneurship in a virtual event.

"He's really an inspiration," said Ronn Johnson, president and CEO of MLK Family Services. "He has done quite well for himself. He has the entrepreneurial spirit and doesn't give up. People are drawn to Julius because of his positivity. He walks this world with a sense of purpose and integrity."

Before enrolling at STCC, Lewis dreamed of a career in the music business. He was a singer in a band that had a manager and cut a couple of records. He focused on music for 10 years before deciding he had to try something different.

"I realized Berry Gordy wasn't going to call," he said with a chuckle, referring to the famous Motown record executive.

Looking for a new start, Lewis enrolled at STCC and soon excelled as a student. Lewis credits his passion for music with helping him to succeed. "I already had the ambition and work ethic instilled in me from doing music for many years," he said. "I gave 110 percent while I was at STCC."

One of his biggest influences was an advisor, Teresa Burr, now retired. "When I met with her during my first few weeks after starting, she said, 'Promise me you will graduate.' Black men start out and then don't graduate for a lot of reasons," Lewis said. "She was a person of color that I could identify with and she could identify with me. She knew about the challenges African American males faced."

At STCC, Lewis served as a student member of the Board of Trustees. He graduated after earning two associate degrees - one in liberal arts and the other in business management. He was student speaker at the 1997 Commencement. While at STCC, Lewis was awarded several scholarships and awards and studied in a program that allowed him to gain immediate acceptance into the Isenberg School of Management.

At UMass, he earned a bachelor's in business management and was voted Time Magazine UMass Student of the Year.

After graduating from UMass, Lewis started his finance career at Lincoln Financial Group. He worked at other jobs in finance and gained experience and expertise that prepared him to be an independent agent.

Lewis in 2021 was elected to the Board of Directors of the UMassFive College Federal Credit Union.

In addition to discussing money issues on WTCC, Lewis and Morrow speak to classrooms in public schools about financial literacy. "They do this for free," said Johnson, president of MLK Family Services. "They do this because they care about the community."

Johnson said MLK Family Services is recognizing Lewis, Morrow and other honorees because of their good deeds. They reflect the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

Lewis said each experience in his life - from music, to college to working in the financial industry - has helped bring him success today and inspired him to give back to the community.

"STCC is what gave me my confidence," he said. "It had been about five years since I was in school, and when I was in high school, I never took school that seriously. STCC provided me with a safe environment where I could get the help I needed from the tutors who were there."

Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp said Lewis' story goes to the heart of the STCC mission, which is to support students as they transform their lives."We love hearing from our graduates and finding out how STCC has made an impact on their lives," Kemp said. "We're proud to have Julius Lewis as an alumnus. His story is a great example of how a student at STCC can take advantage of support and resources to achieve their goals."

Today, STCC, the most affordable college in Springfield, offers a variety of support programs, some of which were not available when Lewis was a student. Here are a few of the programs:

In addition, STCC offers a broad range of non-academic support through the Center for Access Services (CAS), which helps students overcome barriers that stand in the way of self-sufficiency, allowing them to succeed and stay in school.

Lewis urges anyone thinking about making a change in their life to consider STCC.

"I was able to achieve beyond what I expected," Lewis said. "I give STCC all the credit for planting that seed and giving me the opportunity to reinvent myself. I look at STCC as being a treasure in this community, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for an opportunity to have a second chance in life. It's one of the best community colleges in the country."

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

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Julius D. Lewis earned two degrees from STCC and went on to a career in finance.