Meet Members of the Class of 2025

Class of 2025
Lillian Moya  
MAJOR: HEALTH SCIENCES

At age 39, Lillian Lissette Moya returned to the same campus where she once tried to earn her GED. Sixteen years later, she’s leaving Kingsborough Community College not only with a degree in health sciences but also with honors. 

“I was scared to start again, but I knew I needed to do something,” said Moya, who grew up in Sheepshead Bay and still lives nearby. “Being a mom of a child on the autism spectrum pushed me to do something for myself so I can do more for my child.” 

Moya is the first in her family to graduate from college. She earned her degree through KCC’s FLEX program, with all but one of her classes online.  

She made the Dean’s List twice and was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society. “Phi Theta Kappa means the most,” she said. “I used to hear about it and thought I could never be part of it.”  

Her time at Kingsborough wasn’t without challenges—math in particular. But tutoring with Felix Yusupov, who she called “the best tutor of KCC,” made a big difference. “I don’t know if I would’ve gotten through it without him,” she said. 

An accessibility student, she gave a special acknowledgment to Peter Santiago, a counselor and associate director of KCC’s Access-Ability Services, for helping her get back on track after an advisor left her questioning her abilities. “Given what was going on in my personal life, the advisor was discouraging after I shared my goals,” she recalled. “I almost gave up before finishing my second year.”  

Peter apologized on the advisor's behalf and reminded her that making the Dean's List in her first year was proof that she was stronger than she realized.  

He also introduced her to text-to-speech software, which would read text aloud whenever she felt overwhelmed or struggled with "brain fog." Additionally, he suggested she try using a reading ruler—a sentence strip that blocks out all but the line she’s reading—to help her stay focused. “I still use it now, even for things outside of school,” she added. 

Moya found personal growth in the classroom, especially in a course on family communication. “I learn that traditional roles are not exactly the same in every family—and that it’s okay. Due to life circumstances, roles evolve throughout life,” she said. “That class helped me make peace with my own family. I came to understand that no family is perfect, including mine.” 

As for what’s next, Moya is taking things one day at a time. She hopes for a career in health care or supporting children with disabilities. “I want to be in a field where I can help people, support my family, and still be there for my child.”  

Moya said she’s proud of what she’s achieved—and proud of every student who she noted has their own backstory. “We’ve been through so much,” she said. “But we conquered it.”