Kody Green

Kody Green was a typical high school graduate, starting out in life and pursuing college options. However, things went off the rails quickly. At 19, Kody was suddenly in the thick of horrific developments—hyper-realistic hallucinations, substance addiction, then a car accident, drug-related charges, and finally, incarceration. Kody lived with increasingly severe symptoms for two years, even convincing himself that he had developed the superpower of mind reading. The brain is skilled at creating and interpreting its own reality while heavily validating the paranoia and hallucinations—all typical schizophrenic symptoms.

At 21, Kody received an official schizophrenic diagnosis. Addiction issues often exist in tandem with schizophrenia to create a self-propelling downward spiral. Kody is very lucky to have found a medication he responds well to. His struggles cannot be separated from who he is. Kody describes himself as a recovered drug addict, reformed convict, and diagnosed schizophrenic—these are his sources of his wisdom. 

Kody was enrolled in Western’s Human Resources program. Early pandemic disruption prompted him to take a school hiatus to assess life goals and explore possibilities. Kody is a motivational speaker, social media star, mental health advocate, suicide prevention and peer support specialist. He also started an employment agency that specializes in second chances, One Opportunity Hiring—completely backed by his unshakable belief in second chances.

He has 1.2 million followers on TikTok. This is where he shares his personal stories regarding mental health, drug addiction, incarceration, and the reliably viral genre “Schizophrenic Storytime.” His wide open approach with mental health dialogue is transformational, and the result is a massively supportive community. This fall, he will be back at Western to finish his HR degree—a plan that speaks heavily to his strengths.

Kody’s success story is an inspiration. He’s overcome massive hardships to create a life in which he can be entirely himself—truly a rare unicorn. His life experiences give him a knack for understanding—people trust him; he affords them a powerful sense of belonging and kinship. No mental health stigma here!

Kody figured out the sweet spot in life: know yourself but embrace change along the journey. Life is change. Kody is essentially Western.