Adam Strong
Adam Strong is currently pursuing his Master of Public Policy at the University Of New Hampshire Carsey School Of Public Policy, specializing in both tracks of Strategy & Communication and Statistics & Data Analysis. His passion for policy came into focus after writing a blog for Ban the Box fair hiring policies. What started out being a short post turned into a 5-page research paper that was better suited for an elected official than his readers. After much self-reflection, he decided to he was too passionate to only study and advocate for policies in his spare time and decided to switch career fields. He has this to say about policy, “There is a right tool for every job and policy is the right tool for alleviating poverty and creating pathways of opportunity.”
Raised by his father in an Appalachian community in Jackson KY, Adam attended his local community college, working as a security guard at a local coal mine at a time when the coal industry was in decline. He soon found himself unemployed and without options, but was able to gain entry into the YouthBuild Hazard program. At YouthBuild, Adam took part in community service and outreach projects while receiving a much-needed stipend. The experience helped introduce him to a life of service where he could not only improve his community and other people’s lives but his own as well.
After YouthBuild, he went on to serve two terms as an AmeriCorps member at YouthBuild Hazard working as a teacher’s aide. Using his Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, he transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he graduated with his bachelors of Medical Laboratory Science. He worked for three years in rural hospitals before finding the right tool for alleviating poverty and improving people’s lives.
Sponsoring Organization: YouthBuild USA