A Dream Come True

by Laura Breen Galante

Among those receiving diplomas at Seminole State College’s graduation ceremony in May, Zillersteen “Steeny” Bellamy might have been the most excited person in the room.

The 95-year-old Sanford woman proudly accepted an honorary GED (the equivalent of a high school diploma) from SSC President Georgia Lorenz. Zillersteen’s son Raymond was almost as thrilled as his mother.

“I am very proud of her and will always be grateful to Seminole State College for bestowing her with this honor,” says Raymond, who lives in Casselberry. “They told me that they had never given an honorary GED before, so she is the first.”

Zillersteen’s inspiring life story starts in Sanford, where she was born and raised. She attended Hopper Academy, a school for African Americans, but dropped out after ninth grade to go to work and help support her family. 

She took care of children, helped her mother clean houses, and worked for a man doing laundry. Later, when she wanted to open her own laundry business, he helped her accomplish that goal. 

Perseverance Pays Off

During an oral history interview Steeny gave at the Sanford Museum in 2024, she recalled the uphill battle she faced as a Black entrepreneur.

“I had a time of it because I was trying to get a small business loan,” Zillersteen told the RICHES oral history project, “and at the time, there was no such thing as a Black lady getting a small business loan!

But Steeny persevered, secured the loan, and was the owner and operator of Steen’s Dry Cleaners on Sanford Avenue for more than 20 years while raising three children.

“She worked 15 hours a day, and on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to noon, while taking care of the three of us,” says Raymond.

Her larger clients included the Auto Train in Sanford, the Sanford Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. 

“I did all of their business, and you had to have all that ready on time,” she recalled. “By five o’clock in the morning, those trucks had to be loaded.” 

She didn’t mind, though.

“I was able to school my children,” she said. “It was hard work, but that was no problem because I was used to hard work. I enjoyed it.”

Adds Raymond, “So, with only a ninth-grade education, she was able to obtain a loan, balance checkbooks, hire employees, make payroll, order chemicals, order machinery, press clothes, spot and clean clothes, deal with the public, and raise two sons and a daughter.”

Knowledge Is Power

Even though Steeny didn’t finish high school, she appreciated the benefits of a formal education and set high standards for her kids.

“I didn’t want my children to have to work like I did,” she said. “I wanted them all to get a good education. I know that if you get an education and apply yourself, you can live better.”

She was determined to finish her own high-school education and enrolled at Seminole State College to earn her GED through the school’s Adult Education program. She’d been taking classes for  nearly a decade when she fell ill, says 

Raymond, and her family worried she would not be able to complete the necessary classwork.

So, Raymond reached out to Ed Rivadeneyra, SSC’s dean of adult education, about possibly granting his mother an honorary GED. Ed talked with Dr. Lorenz, who agreed that Steeny should be granted the GED. They took into account her entrepreneurship and decades of work experience when making their decision. 

“It has been a true pleasure getting to know Ms. Bellamy through our Seminole State GED program,” says Ed. “In my 25 years in education, her journey stands out as one of the most inspiring and rewarding experiences I’ve had as an educator.”

Accompanied by her family and wearing a graduation cap decorated by her son, Steeny was all smiles as she clutched her diploma at the SCC ceremony. Her cap featured several pictures of her in her younger years, including one in front of her dry cleaning business.

Ed says he hopes her story serves as a powerful source of encouragement and motivation for the next generation of students – reminding them of the success that hard work, perseverance, and dedication can bring.