Check Out Kelly Adams’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Adams.

Hi Kelly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
First, ya’ll this journey is so magical! I claimed this journey in November 2010. I REALLY DID! Write down your goals, plans, dreams, and big ideas, and go after them urgently! In 2010, I wrote and claimed that I would be a successful entrepreneur and referenced serving youth (see attached pic)! It took me a little minute, had to snag that husband first and build our family. Now I am ready to serve something wonderful and amazing to my community!

In December 2020, during the midst of a pandemic and having our children home with us, virtual learning with 5 children, and working full time, then at UMSL – The W.A.Y. Center was birthed. W.A.Y. is an acronym for “Watering and Advancing Youth”. I remember talking to my husband in our living room and telling him that I wanted WATER to be part of the name and vision. I knew that I wanted “water” “and planting seeds” to be part of my mission to serve – water is magical, spiritual, and free-flowing when unblocked – I wanted to create a program that would freely flow into and pour into youth – planting seeds of amazingness (see our principles below). I wanted to create an intentional afterschool space to water and pour into youth, specifically within the K-5th grade space.

Now, that I am thinking back, it was my husband who came up with the name – and I said/yelled that is it! The WAY!

I started dreaming of what my logo would be and the colors I wanted to see in my vision/brand! I wanted to see my children, my beautiful black children – brown eyes and big hair, the sun, the earth, water! To this day, I love my logo – it is beautiful. I remember thinking is it not inclusive, and diverse enough, will I not appeal to certain groups of people? I started asking my white friends and colleagues how they felt about it, lol – they loved it – or at least that was what was expressed. It didn’t matter, I loved it, and it was a reflection of my children, my lovely babies. I knew that my mission to serve would be inclusive and cater to those who needed it most – and I wanted this logo!

I knew nothing about creating a non-profit, but I immediately connected with the library – and came across an amazing librarian who spent time chatting with me and walking me through the nonprofit application process. Yep, a librarian helped me via Zoom and I am so thankful that he did. I still share the information passed along to me, to this day – I love sharing! There is so much good to go around, when I discover something joyful, helpful, interesting, new, etc. – I share!

I filed my nonprofit application, and just in time for giving STL DAY, hosted in May, I received my 501c3 determination letter and approval in April 2020.

During the period December 2020 – April 2021, I did soooo much research about afterschool programming, and the demographics I wanted to serve, and made some amazing contacts along The WAY! Beyond the Bell Toolkit and my partners with MASN, were a blessing! I received initial support from Mr. Lauer, with the UMSL DEI Accelerator program – practiced my pitch, crafted my mission and received some tough, yet constructive feedback, and tightened up my delivery and vision. I leaned on my husband to support with the little people in our life, (and his excel skills) while I spent late hours in front of the computer crafting my pitch, and having after-hours meetings with potential donors and partners!

My aunt and uncle were my first donors. My sister-in-love was my social media guide and prayer warrior! Close friends, family, and colleagues – all were rooting for The W.A.Y. Center to be successful and still are. I reached back to friends and associates in previous roles I served in, to tap into their networks and knowledge – thank you to my St. Louis Children’s Hospital Volunteers.

Early in this journey, I reached out to the superintendent at Ritenour School District- and thus my journey began to create a partnership to serve. I called teachers, administrators, and CFOs – they know who they are! It was a letter of support from Dr. Kilbride that helped to expedite my approval to become an approved 501c3 nonprofit organization – thank you!

I had the perfect community partnership, budget, a plan on a page, I had done my research, and I knew the need was there – I had the most amazing, intentional solution, I wanted to serve. At this point, we even had an amazing online home, a beautiful website, and a logo to match! I was determined to be the best afterschool provider for ONE, just one, an elementary school within Ritenour! I needed to raise $150,000 to make this happen by the upcoming school year, August 2021. It did not happen.

Fast forward, to August 2022 – it still has not happened. Whew’ child. I am exhausted and renewed all at the same time whenever I even think of the big dreams I have for The W.AY. Center! I still choose to celebrate. To date, we have raised over $12,000 in funding, organized a board, applied to over 30 grants, led a summer reading program, put books in youth hands, delivered an engaging entrepreneur-focused workshop, and even got a shout-out on Fox 2 NEWS, Kim Hudson’s ‘What are you doing about it” series, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=546067866429151, received our first and only grant of $2,000 from MASN and got t-shirts to rock our W.A.Y swag! Seeds are planted and being watered – we have BIG goals to deliver and youth to serve!

Mission statement: to serve youth, by providing a watering of intentional resources, care, and opportunities to acquire education and total health success.

The WAY Center’s vision is to advance education and total health equity in underserved youth.

The W.A.Y. Center Watering Principles: To Achieve Growth and Total Health. This watering includes access, collaboration, communication, and a collective effort to serve the students, families, and community.

• Water thoroughly: water the whole child – extend resources, care, and opportunities to the child, family, and community
• Water consistently: water with a commitment to improving the child’s academic and total health success
• Water intentionally: water to target each child’s academic development and unique learning style/interest -promoting cognitive, physical, emotional, and social healthy habits
• Water for growth: to sustain excitement while achieving academic and total health success

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
As a first-generation grad, I was inspired to start The WAY Center to solve the educational and health disparities facing my community. Currently, I am an Operations Manager at World Wide Technology, the largest black-owned technology company. In my previous role, I served as the Leader of Recruitment at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). I lead with this because this is a big part of my story!

Wife, mom, working full time, entrepreneur, PTO treasurer, the event planner in the family – lol… all of these things tend to compete for my time! I just knew that I would raise that money, $150,000 in 6 months! Easy right? Being privileged to insight from some of the roles I have served in, I know, there is an abundance of funding to tap into to serve these babies! Everyone is passionate about youth, right? The struggle is real. Pitch, after pitch and being told that my pitch and vision were beautiful, but my business was not proven or established, or did not align with their funding goals, yada -yada! It was deflating, I became stuck!

The long nights dwindled, board meetings stopped, the research stopped, no pitching, and my energy were conflicted.

As I sit here and type this, I am reminded of these struggles and yet, I am smiling. I was reminded that when God gives you a platform, you stand on it firmly and share all the wonderful things HE has done for you – wonderful indeed. When I received this email, from a barely active email account, I sat up in my seat – and said Why? Why Me? I said, I am going to pray on this one, because every time, I am still too long, I get gentle reminders to get moving. I replied to the Voyage editor and I am excited, humbled, and honored at the opportunity to share my journey. Thank you to my therapist for the referral, you never know who you are inspiring.

The struggles – identifying funding, balancing my time, creating partnerships, staying motivated and encouraged! God placed this amazing idea within my spirit and at every corner, it seeps out, even when it is not being watered.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve spent the last 15 years within the field of Human Resources, until recently, when I made the switch to Consulting Services! Although I am no longer in a formal HR role, I am still in a service, people-oriented role. I pride myself on being able to genuinely connect with people and create relationships. Recruiting is a major part of my role and having conversations to better understand what people’s passions are and how they want to show up in the world, brings me JOY. I am deeply service oriented, organized and love event planning.

In most of the roles I have served in, I have contributed to team engagement efforts and planning team events. I am my family’s personal event planner and have found joy in learning to use new creative tools, such as Canva. Making fliers is my happy place, brings me JOY! Pizza party, birthdays, pool day, a day at the park, movie day – I got a flier for YOU! I am most proud of being a loving, dedicated wife and mom. At times, I feel guilty because my work and dreams for The W.A.Y. Center take away from my time with family, but I try my best to be a present wife and mom!

I use to feel burdened by being the one in the family who pulls the events together, I now lean into this role, and am thankful that I was called to do it. My family is everything, and if you haven’t picked up on it yet, Amazing and Joy are two of my favorite words, The word amazing is engraved in my wedding band, thank you, Mr. Adams.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Get you an advocate, several advocates! People who are rooting for you and pouring into you, even when you’re not present. Those who speak of you at tables you were not invited to or didn’t even know existed. I dislike networking, so exhausting for me, lol – it is necessary though! At least, surround yourself and your circle with like-minded individuals. Your friends are your friends, they can love and support and pour into you at times, but not every friend is your business partner– know the difference. Everyone won’t be as passionate and urgent about your journey as you are – and that is okay.

This is your walk, your journey. For me, it is about connecting with community partners who are genuinely interested in serving youth in a sincere, intentional way. As I mentioned before, I am a sharer of information, not everyone along my journey has been – yet, still, I share. Share, if you come across something that helped you in your journey, share. There is an abundance of JOY to go around, the joy that has been allocated for me in no way can take away from someone else’s Joy.

There is a song that speaks of budgeting your energy, I’d advise the same when networking and connecting – do it on purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: thewayctr.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewayctr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewayctr/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewayctr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjG3Wt5ICUbGmBKuyuI02Mw/featured