she was interested in the arts, Jewell first studied accounting and psychology at college before committing to the theater. Jewell went to two different junior colleges; Cypress College and then Fullerton College. It was at Fullerton College where Geri befriended Alex Valdez, a blind comedian, who encouraged her to do stand-up at The Comedy Store. Jewell wanted to transfer once more and enroll in UCLA-Fullerton to earn a degree in psychology and theater arts, but she ended up dropping out to perform at The Comedy Store, since she struggled with some of her college classes and wanted to pursue acting more seriously. Jewell said that maturing emotionally was one of her hardest accomplishments, since she had been somewhat sheltered as a child. After she dropped out of college, Jewell began work as a stand-up comic at The Comedy Store in 1978. Facts of Life In 1980, Jewell was offered a role on The Facts of Life. The show ended up being one of the longest-running TV sitcoms in the 1980s. The Facts of Life was a spin-off from Diff'rent Strokes, which featured Edna Garrett, the housekeeper in the Drummond household. Garrett was written into the new show as a housemother, and later a dietitian, at the fictitious Eastland private school. Jewell first appeared in the show's second season. Her role as Geri Tyler, the cousin of Blair, was groundbreaking. She was the first disabled actor to have a recurring role on a TV series;. She was on The Facts of Life for twelve episodes and her contract ended in 1984. Not only was Jewell fired from The Facts of Life, but her then-manager was also arrested for embezzlement and securities fraud. Jewell was left broke and without professional representation. In her first autobiography, Geri, published in 1984, Jewell wrote of the situation, Post-Facts of Life The years immediately following the show were dark for Jewell, and included an addiction to sleeping pills. A biography about her written by Stewart Weiner, also titled Geri, was published without her authorization. She never believed it illustrated her life as well as her autobiography. Jewell was asked to speak at the White House about her disability in 1985. She began her speech: “Love and fear cannot exist at the same time. One cannot exist in the presence of the other...[people are] not born into the world with prejudice; prejudice is a learned behavior. Fear