By: Jasmine White, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
SOUTH JERSEY – A young boy who used to be burdened with the uncertainties of not knowing if he would have somewhere to call home due to possible eviction, grew up overcoming all the obstacles that were thrown his way. He now uses his positions in life to positively impact his community and all those that come in contact with him.
James Green, 24, is originally from Maryland, but now calls Trenton home after years of what his late high school mentor, Daron Reid, described as Green’s ‘troubled past that does not dictate his future.”
“Seeing the impact of what [Reid] had on not only myself but other young men and ultimately our community was a big eye opener for me,” Green said. “I realized I wanted to be very similar to him and what he stood for.”
He was motivated to apply his energies to positive outlets, leading him to running track and field at Dulaney High School. Though Green admits that at first he did not consider going to college, he was encouraged by Reid to explore the study of psychology and counseling, and was sought after by coaches from Rider University.
During his time at Rider, he became very involved in the track team, holding two records in track and field, as well as pledging to Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated during his undergraduate years.
Green received his Bachelor in psychology in 2022, and finished a double Master program in school counseling and mental clinical health in May 2025.
Green said, “[Kappa Alpha Psi] is an organization of predominantly young black men. Anybody is welcome, but we really take pride in putting in the work. It’s all about community, service and giving back to do all we can to uplift.”
Green was the president of his fraternity’s Rho Xi chapter at Rider. He and his brothers hosted community service events, donated a series of items to those in need and gave back to the community in various ways. They have a Trenton literacy movement program at Copeland Crosby Elementary School where he acted as a peer mentor, uplifting and guiding young men.
Outside of the campus setting, Green is actively involved in the Trenton community through Trenton Run Club. Green and his club partner, Tyla Delgado, took an idea and made it a reality within weeks to inspire more community engagement and to promote unity.
“We maybe had like four people for the first session, and fast forward to now, we have anywhere from 15 to 20 people coming every Saturday morning,” Green said.
The running club received a lot of love and support from the Trenton community and beyond through its social media platforms, bringing in attention from Princeton’s running clubs. It is planning on expanding to doing marathons in collaboration with other neighboring clubs. The club can be found on Instagram: @runtrenton.
As the summer winds down, Green is preparing to step into his role as head counselor at Holland Middle School in Trenton, while also beginning his doctorate program at Montclair State University.
Green leaves the following words of encouragement to his peers and all those that will come after him, “Don’t be scared. Dive in. I know it seems impossible until you do it.”
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