Meet Members of the Class of 2025

Class of 2025
Lamar Green  
MAJOR: BUSINESS OF FASHION

When Lamar Green accepts his degree from Kingsborough Community College this spring, it will mark a turning point in a story filled with struggle, healing, and purpose.

Green, a Brooklyn native born and raised in Sheepshead Bay, started college in 2015 after graduating from James Madison High School, where he ran track and dreamed of competing at the college level. But that dream was cut short by a serious shoulder injury. “It did much more than physical damage,” he said. “It also took a severe toll on my mental state.”

Soon after, Green was diagnosed with unspecified schizophrenia and long-term depression. He was hospitalized, prescribed medication, and entered a period of drug addiction and instability. “At some point, I had to ask myself—what kind of legacy am I leaving behind? I knew I couldn’t keep living that way,” he said.

In 2019, another hospitalization led to real change. Green enrolled in an outpatient program at Coney Island Hospital’s Ida G. Israel Community Health Center. He attended group therapy, took his medication as prescribed, and eventually earned a certificate of completion in 2021.

With his health and confidence restored, he joined the nonprofit job-training program Year Up, where he developed skills in project management and landed a full-time job at BNY Mellon. That success helped him return to college.

Green is now graduating with an associate degree in the business of fashion. “I chose this major to better understand the business world while still embracing my passion for style and curation,” he said.

At Kingsborough, he took part in clubs focused on equity and student success, including Equity in STEM and Achieving the Dream. He was awarded a CUNY City STEM scholarship and credits faculty members like Dr. Midori Yamamura and Michael Palladino for their encouragement. “There is a club or social group for everyone,” he said. “And if there isn’t, you can create it!”

Next up: the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he’ll study international trade. His career goals include business strategy, logistics, supply chain consulting, and global production. “These careers fascinate me because they would let me use a global business mindset while traveling the world,” he said.

Outside of school, Green enjoys writing poetry, going to the gym, and performing spoken word at open mics. He’s also proud to be sober and promote sober social communities to those seeking help from addiction.

Green is building a nonprofit called The Silver Lining Project, which supports young people in underserved communities. “The goal is to shine a light of inspiration and help turn difficult situations into something positive,” he said.

His advice for new students is simple: “Give yourself a foundation. There’s no linear path to success. With consistency, humility, and pure intention, it will find you.”