Carly Zwiazek
Creator and Founder

Carly grew up on Chicago's Southwest side neighborhood of Archer Heights. She is a product of the Chicago Public School system where she eventually went on to coach and teach. She taught high school physical education and health and she coached softball and cross country. After teaching in various schools in Chicago's southwest and southeast neighborhoods she eventually ended up back at her Alma Mater, Curie High School.

During her experiences teaching, no matter the school or the side of the city, she found herself being that adult that the kids felt safe around, they felt supported and protected and they felt like that had someone they could share things with. As both a teacher and a coach she developed deep relationships with her students and athletes and saw them as family. She felt like she was guiding her younger siblings. She realized that she had become that adult that she always needed when she was growing up and she felt honored to serve kids from Chicago and from the neighborhood that she grew up in.

Her experiences growing up and teaching showed her how significant the impact of a positive, caring and supporting adult can be on the growth, development and life trajectory of youth and young adults. She also recognized how detrimental a lack of those positive relationships can be.

She Founded Be That Adult to

  • to increase awareness around mentoring, mentorship relationships, and the various methods and programs that exist
  • to show the impact and benefits that these relationships have on the individuals directly involved as well as the trajectory of their lives and the communities they influence and effect
  • To inspire and motivate adults and young adults to be leaders and examples and to work towards positive impact and change in themselves, in their families and communities
  • To help provide guidance for adults, who serve youth, to be leaders for change by providing tools, strategies and resources to build relationships and to help develop the youth that they serve
  • To promote and highlight the stories of and to celebrate the adults who carry out their mission every day and the impact that they make on those that they serve and the communities in which they work or live in

Request Carly to speak at your next personal or professional development, Conference or Event.

Ⓒ 2024 be that adult All rights reserved.