Omar was born in Tennessee and grew up in southern Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati. His childhood home was out of a storybook, standing on a hill at the end of a cul-de-sac with a great big forest for a backyard. He spent many hours there, and, from what he saw and felt, grew his love for all things green.

These days, he’s a senior at NYU, where he studies philosophy and journalism. He resides in an apartment the size of a sardine can but, luckily, his bedroom window overlooks a brick wall.