People often ask why I decided to build Urban Legends Academy, and the answer really begins long before I ever imagined opening a school of my own. When I was in high school, there was a class I genuinely wanted to take because I was interested in what I could learn. When I asked about taking it, I was told that I needed to be "smarter" and in an AP class.

That moment stayed with me. At the time, I was focused on the fact that I wanted to learn something and someone was essentially telling me that opportunity was not available to me. As I got older and built my career in education, I came to understand that the experience was about much more than one class. It was about who gets access to certain opportunities, what adults believe students are capable of, and how those beliefs can shape the way young people begin to see themselves.

I want Urban Legends Academy to be a school where students are seen for their potential, not defined by assumptions about where they come from or what statistics may suggest about them. Too often, what is visible on the surface does not tell the whole story. I believe every student has strengths, talents, and a capacity for greatness waiting to be discovered. Urban Legends Academy is about uncovering that potential, challenging expectations, and changing the narrative about what is possible for students. I want students to work hard, be challenged, and learn how to think, but I also want school to be a place they enjoy coming to every day, where they experience joy, belonging, and opportunities to discover what excites them and where they want to go next.

Over the past 17 years, I have seen firsthand how much can change for a young person when they know someone genuinely cares about them, believes in them, and is willing to invest in their success. Sometimes students have already decided what they are capable of based on what they have been told or what they have experienced. When the adults around them consistently show them that they see more, students can begin to see more in themselves too.

One experience in particular has never left me. I worked with a student who had spent much of his school experience being labeled as "difficult." We had to push him, support him, make adjustments, and keep believing that he could make it across that graduation stage. When he finally did, he took his diploma, looked at me, and said, "Man, this feels good."

I still think about that moment because every student deserves to know what that feels like. They deserve adults who will not give up on them and a school that helps them recognize what they are capable of becoming.

When I decided that I wanted to build this school in Charlotte, I spent time learning about different communities across the city and where another high school option could make a meaningful difference. Southwest Charlotte and the Steele Creek community stood out to me. I saw a growing and diverse community, and I saw an opportunity to build the kind of student-centered high school experience that reflects what I have learned throughout my career about what young people need to thrive.

I want every student to graduate Urban Legends Academy knowing themselves, understanding their possibilities, and believing in what they are capable of achieving. For some, that may mean a four-year college. For others, it may mean pursuing a career, starting a business, learning a skilled trade, or following another path that aligns with their strengths and goals. What matters to me is that students graduate with the skills, experiences, confidence, and support to take their next step with purpose, make a difference in the world around them, and become the kind of person who leaves a lasting legacy. That, to me, is what it means to be legendary.

That is what Dare to Be Great means to me. It means every student graduates having grown beyond where they started, confident in who they are, and aware of their possibilities. It means being prepared to overcome life’s challenges and learning how to stay focused on your dreams, ready to leave their imprint on the world.

Ultimately, I want every student who walks through our doors to graduate better than when they arrived. I want them to know that they were seen, challenged, supported, and believed in here. I want our families to know that they are valued partners in that journey. Most of all, I want our students to graduate from Urban Legends Academy believing what that young man felt the moment he crossed the stage - that they are capable of doing something legendary.

Dr. Daena B. Adams, Founder