John Jay CUNY EDGE alumna Nakia Greene’s ’18 story is one of resiliency, determination, and academic excellence. As a single mom, a domestic violence survivor, and a first-generation college student, Greene was committed to obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at John Jay. Despite the challenges she faced outside the College environment, Greene took pride in earning a 4.0 GPA every semester. “Anywhere I go, whether it’s an academic or work environment, I give it my all,” she says. “I have to show that I am a capable, brilliant, Black woman.” While her drive to succeed was always there, Greene credits the support she got at John Jay, specifically from CUNY EDGE, with helping her stay on track to reach her goals. “Because of John Jay’s CUNY EDGE staff, I was able to dream up bigger dreams for myself. After graduating the College, I went on to earn my master’s degree from Hunter’s Silberman School of Social Work. Now, I’m helping system-impacted individuals find their own path to academic success as a Case Management Specialist at John Jay’s Institute for Justice and Opportunity [IJO].” We sat down with Greene to learn more about her journey at John Jay, CUNY EDGE’s impact on her life, and her role at IJO.
“Anywhere I go, whether it’s an academic or work environment, I give it my all. I have to show that I am a capable, brilliant, Black woman.” —Nakia Greene
Being the First
Growing up, Greene didn’t know the central role education would play in her life. The daughter of two immigrants, and the youngest of six kids, no one in her family had gone to college, let alone graduated from high school. “My mom had a seventh-grade education, my father had an 11th-grade education, and my five older siblings didn’t finish high school. But with me, my mom was determined to change the story,” says Greene. “She pushed me to succeed by putting me in rigorous programs in hopes of getting to a high school graduation.” When it came time to go to college, Greene got accepted into a private university but wasn’t able to enroll because her parents failed to give her the financial documents she needed. “It’s a heartbreak that still hurts to this day,” she says. Putting her college dreams on hold, Greene immediately got herself a job in hopes of saving up money for school, but a year later found herself pregnant with her first child. “Once my mom learned I was pregnant, she kicked me out of the house. Throughout my pregnancy I was homeless and alternated between sleeping in parks or riding the subway all day and night. Six days after my daughter was born, I was able to get into the shelter system, got a new job at a store, and got an apartment voucher. That new stability reignited my desire to go to college.”
Getting Support at John Jay
In 2012, Greene enrolled at John Jay, determined to take the first step toward achieving her college dreams. “What drew me to John Jay College was the criminal justice program. I wanted to become a corrections officer and help change the system,” says Greene. At John Jay, she excelled in her classes, but the path to graduation wasn’t easy. “I had to ‘stop out’ a number of times. First, I needed to get early intervention services for my child, who I learned was autistic. Then, in the fall of 2014, after my building’s stairway collapsed, destroying my ankle in the process, I had to get an ankle replacement surgery and ended up in the ICU for seven months due to blood clots. After recovering and learning to walk again, in January 2015, I said to myself, That’s it. I’m going to take control of my life. I’m going to earn this degree and push through any adversity. I went back to John Jay that semester.” A month later, as she began to get back into her rhythm of work, school, and taking care of the kids, she became a victim of a horrific domestic violence attack. “I had a broken jaw, broken eye socket, and broken ribs. But I had already decided I was going to push through, so that’s what I did. I showed up to class, albeit bruised up, but with my spirit fully intact. I was more determined than ever to make my dream of graduating John Jay come true.”
“The CUNY EDGE staff became my family. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have graduated.” —Nakia Greene
Finding Family at CUNY EDGE
While life outside of the College was incredibly challenging, one steady constant Greene could always rely on was the support she received from John Jay’s CUNY EDGE staff. “Academically I was excelling, but I was struggling both personally and financially. The CUNY EDGE staff became my family. If it wasn’t for them, I know I wouldn’t have graduated,” says Greene. “The staff wanted to see me succeed as much as I did. The reality is, if you qualify as a public assistance recipient with the Human Resources Administration, a prerequisite for CUNY EDGE, then there’s a high likelihood that your life is lacking in other areas, like family support and stable housing. CUNY EDGE fills that void.” She vividly remembers one meeting when she was applying to a graduate program that was not aligned with her interests. “I remember sitting with Chantelle Wright, the former Director at CUNY EDGE, and with Yelena Meytes, the current Director, and I was telling them I wanted to get my master’s in Digital Forensics. They both knew I didn’t want that because that’s not where my passion was. The truth was I was afraid to leave John Jay because I didn’t want to lose this incredible support system,” recalls Greene. “I knew I wanted to do something in social work and Chantelle and Yelena gave me the tools I needed to apply to grad school. I got accepted into five out of the six programs I applied for, including Columbia and Hunter.” While earning her master’s degree in Community Organizing at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work, Greene found herself returning to John Jay’s CUNY EDGE staff for guidance. “I still turn to them for support. Right now, I’m applying to Ph.D. programs. I want to get my doctorate in urban education, and it’s a process they’re helping me navigate. The CUNY EDGE staff has a lifelong commitment with their students and it’s a commitment I’m grateful for.”
“John Jay and CUNY EDGE changed my life. My hope is to continue that good work at IJO and help change the lives of the students I work with for the better.” —Nakia Greene
Helping System-Impacted Individuals
Working as a Case Management Specialist at John Jay College’s Institute for Justice and Opportunity (IJO), Greene has made it her mission to help system-impacted people returning home and entering college. “I assist our Prison-to-College Pipeline folks with any non-academic barriers to successful college completion—so anything that doesn’t have to do with school, but could stop them from earning their degree,” explains Greene. “What that means is that when they come out of prison, if they need public assistance, I help process their application. If they’re in the shelter system and have been there for more than 45 days with no meetings about housing, I’ll do advocacy with the shelter system. I do referrals to mental health locations, I help with family reunification, and I connect them to legal services.” Calling herself the “CUNY EDGE of IJO,” Greene is proud of the work she does daily to help her students. “I love my job. I love the work I do. Being able to support and guide these individuals who want to change their lives for the better, but just need some help, drives me daily,” she says. “If my time at John Jay and CUNY EDGE has taught me anything, it’s that there are systems in place that offer genuine support and can help change your life. John Jay and CUNY EDGE changed my life. My hope is to continue that good work at IJO and help change the lives of the students I work with for the better.”
