Alumni Spotlight – Chrishayla Adams
“I think JAG-K helped me become myself outside of the noise,” says Chrishayla Adams, a 2021 graduate of Topeka High School JAG-K. “There’s a lot of things I don’t think would have been possible without me going through JAG-K.”
Adams joined the Jobs for America’s Graduates Kansas program during her sophomore year after her step coach (who was coincidentally also the JAG-K specialist) convinced her to give it a shot. During her time in JAG-K, she excelled in many categories, from public speaking to leadership skills. Adams was the national champion in the Prepared Speaking (formerly called Public Speaking) category at the 2020 Virtual National Student Leadership Academy. Additionally, Adams served as the State President for JAG-K during her senior year.
“My whole thing was, don’t call it a dream, call it a plan,” explained Adams about her motto when serving as the JAG-K State President. “JAG-K actually helped me put my plans in motion.”
And those plans have taken her far! From the National Guard to the University of Kansas, to now being a social studies teacher pursuing further education, Adams has accomplished a lot since graduating high school. There are many specific opportunities that JAG-K brought to her that still impact her life today.
“I joined the National Guard when I was in JAG-K,” stated Adams. “A recruiter came to our class and told us about the benefits and how they can pay for college.”
Being a first-generation college student, that was what made Adams’ ears shoot up. She enlisted in the National Guard in her senior year, and she is still an active enlistee currently. She works as a Fire Control Specialist in the field, working behind the scenes with coordinates and other artillery strategy systems. Her time in the guard has taught her valuable lessons in both leadership and mentorship, among other things.
“I still do my weekend drills and my weeks in the summertime,” Adams explained. “They did pay for me to go to college! I graduated in May of 2024 from the University of Kansas with two degrees, one in Sociology and the other in African American Studies, with a minor in Social Justice.”
After graduating from KU, Adams wasn’t sure of her next steps – she had a few ideas but hadn’t ironed out that part of her plan. She even considered joining JAG-K as a specialist! Ultimately, she decided to go a different route.
“I ended up going with the Teach for America route,” said Adams. “Because they would pay for me to get my master’s in education, which I’ll be finishing this upcoming May.”
Adams is now in her second year as a seventh grade Social Studies teacher at Ewing Marion Kaufman School in Kansas City, where she also coaches cheer. Additionally, Chrishayla still serves on the Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a position she was appointed to by Governor Laura Kelly in 2020, after connecting with Gov. Kelly through JAG-K.
“It’s really fun because I still get to help speak for youth and advocate for them,” Adams commented. “And I guess I do that in teaching as well.”
To keep things engaging in her Social Studies classroom, Adams has created her own version of the acronym C.I.A. Every day, her seventh grade students put on their C.I.A caps and agree to uphold the classroom’s values – Community, Inspiration, and Accountability.
“I think it helps me have a better relationship with my students,” she explained. “They know they can come to me and lean on me, and that’s something I want them to do.”
From the JAG-K classroom to a classroom of her own, we’re proud of Chrishayla and all that she has accomplished!
