Community Highlights: Meet Adam Yates of Fort Bend Hope

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Yates.

Hi Adam, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I worked in corporate America for 17 years with Lamar Outdoor Advertising in various roles with the last one being Director of Corporate Real Estate. In short, I enjoyed the work and the people I worked with. I thought a lot of the company, and I still do. At the same time, I had been feeling a tug on my heart for the last couple of years before I left which was God telling me he wanted me to do something different, something that had a different scorecard that focused on others instead of a balance sheet. Finally, in the spring of 2019, I worked up the courage to take that step and resigned from Lamar. I had nothing worked out when I did and no concrete plan. God did though, and I very soon found Fort Bend Hope and accepted the position of Executive Director. It has been a wonderful experience and continues to be so.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
COVID was probably the biggest hurdle in the beginning as everything shut down only 7 months after I started at Fort Bend Hope. I was starting to get my feet under me in this new role when everything shifted. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I learned a lot about myself and Fort Bend Hope. I learned we had the ability to adapt and be nimble. We opened a virtual learning center for the 2020 – 2021 school year, and it was a tremendous success. If you had asked anyone at Fort Bend Hope just six months before if we could do that, I don’t think any of us would have said yes. Seeing our ability to flexibly adapt has given me the confidence that we can take on any challenges that arise. This gives us the freedom to try new things to meet the educational needs of our students as they change.

We’ve been impressed with Fort Bend Hope, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Fort Bend Hope is a nonprofit which focuses exclusively on education. We do that because we believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. For elementary aged children, we do an after-school program where we provide help with homework and reading time. We also have lots of fun with extracurricular clubs in things like art, drama, cooking, etc. During the summer, we have a summer reading camp to keep kids reading over the summer to prevent the summer slide which is the loss of academic knowledge between the end of one school year and the start of the next. We have a lot of great activities during the summer such as visits from Space Center Houston, Brazos Bend State Park, George Ranch, and the Downtown Aquarium. It is lots of fun. We also gave away school supplies to 370 kids last August before the school year started. Best of all, everything we do on the children’s side is completely free.

On the adult side, we have classes to help people learn English, study for the GED exam, study to become a U.S. citizen, and learn to use a computer. There is only an annual $25 registration fee for adult students plus the cost of their books. The thing I am most proud of is the same thing that I believe makes us different, and that is everything we do is relational. It can be hard to learn a new language, pass the GED, or become a citizen. There are times where people will want to give up. That’s natural. What helps them get past that so they can continue on their journey are the relationships they have formed with others. Everyone up here is pulling in the same direction. We lift each other up and celebrate our successes together. I know it sounds corny, but it truly is the secret sauce of Fort Bend Hope. We are a place that people want to be.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a great answer on something surprising. The reason is I love to talk to people, so I end up sharing most things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fortbendhope.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortbendhope1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortBendHopeCommunityCenter