Meet Carrie Adams | Program Director of the Silver Creek Leadership Academy and leadership motivational speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
Maya Angelo wrote, “I would like to be known as an intelligent woman, a courageous woman, a loving woman, a woman who teaches by being.”

This sums up how I would like to be remembered. I lost my mother to cancer on my 17th birthday. Trying to navigate my senior year, and young adulthood without her was challenging, to say the least! I was lucky to be surrounded. by dynamic women, my friend’s mothers, teachers, and coaches who carried on my mother’s work of trying to raise me to be a decent human, and become an adult who would add value to the world.

Now, as the Program Director for the Silver Creek Leadership Academy, I get to work with high school students daily as they navigate their world and hopefully, become intelligent, courageous, loving people who will teach the next generation by being.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since 2009, I have served as the Program Director for the Silver Creek Leadership Academy (SCLA) at Silver Creek High School (SCHS) in Longmont, Colorado. SCLA is part of the St. Vrain Valley Schools Focus Programs, designed to equip students with 21st-century skills.

I transitioned from the corporate world, where I was a technical recruiter, to launch this program—an unconventional move at the time. Although I didn’t have a teaching degree, I had strong ties to the school district, having coached high school basketball for years. My close relationship with then-SCHS Principal Sherri Schumann, whom I had coached alongside, played a key role in this opportunity.

As the idea of leadership education took shape, Sherri sought my business perspective, asking what skills employers wished young people had and whether leadership could be intentionally taught. She convinced me to leave my high-paying job and step into public education—a leap that was both terrifying and exhilarating. Initially a contractor, I was far outside my comfort zone, but I believed in the vision. Collaborating with an incredible team of educators, we designed a four-year leadership curriculum based on real-world skills.

Our program includes:

Foundations of Leadership
Community Leadership
Global and Cultural Leadership
Senior Leadership Capstone Project
We also established six core values, known as the BIG 6:

Communication
Vision
Ethics
Teamwork
Critical & Creative Thinking
Respect
What an adventure it has been! Working with high school students daily is inspiring, challenging, and keeps me young at heart.

Since 2009, thousands of students have gone through our program, collectively volunteering nearly 1 million hours and raising thousands of dollars for nonprofits locally and globally. Their unique experiences in SCLA have led to college scholarships, internships, and leadership opportunities beyond high school.

Being part of this program is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Growing up in Boulder, there are a few places that mean “Colorado” to me.
Of course, we would hit the newly refurbished Casa Bonita.
Depending on the season, hitting up the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, and Avs are always a top choice.
Catching a show at the Buell is always a great time..
Tea at the Brown Palace is a great girls day out.
Le Meridien is a great downtown hotel, and Sliceworks has the best pizza!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A couple of amazing women come to mind.

My high school track coach, Bitsy Carlson, really helped me navigate my senior year in high school when my world was falling apart. She continues to be a big part of my life and inspiration.

Sherri Schumann was the Principal who hired me to become the Program Director for the Silver Creek Leadership Academy and helped me create a great team of teachers to build the program from the ground up.

Website: SilvercreekLeadership.Academy

Instagram: Personal: @Carrie_w_Adams / SCLA. @silvercreek_leadershipacademy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieadams5/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Twitter: @SilvercreekLA