Impact of a Scholarship: Adam Durham

Might we see recent Terp alum Adam Durham representing Team USA at this Summer’s Olympic Games?

Since graduating from the University of Maryland in 2008, Durham has sustained success in his track and field career and is currently training to compete in his fourth Olympic Trials, in the 400-meter hurdles. An experience that Durham described as surreal and humbling. 

“Competing at the highest level puts things into perspective. I’m like, 'Wow, I’m one of the top athletes in the world,’ and that all started from a little kid with a dream as a junior in high school who was supposed to be doing the long jump,” said Durham, who placed sixth at the 2016 Olympic Trials, just shy of qualifying for the games in Rio. “I’m hopeful of representing myself and my country in Tokyo this summer.”

Durham’s pathway to success began at a young age, even before he decided to attend Maryland rather than Penn State. He moved from Tampa, Florida, to Maryland during his senior year of high school, which is when he decided coming to the University of Maryland was the logical next step for him. Durham described it as a great opportunity to stay close to home and compete at a University with a storied athletic history. 

"When I got an opportunity to meet the coach and get recruited, I really appreciated the diversity that the campus had. It was way different from what I was used to back home in Florida," said Durham, who graduated from Paint Branch High School in nearby Burtonsville. "There were a lot of things that made me want to go to Maryland, and the coaches, the athletes, and the team really solidified the choice for me."

During the recruiting process, Durham drew a lot of interest and scholarship offers came from schools in the area, but Maryland was the university that truly caught his eye. 

“It was very nice to get some of the bigger [universities] to want me to bring my talents to their school, so I really enjoyed the recruiting process," said Durham, who graduated with a degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. "I enjoyed the opportunity as well to really get a chance to see what the campus could offer me, not just as an athlete, but also as a student.”

Being a scholarship student-athlete has meant a lot to Durham during and after his time at Maryland. He explained that the opportunity to be on scholarship was something he never took for granted and was an experience that opened a lot of doors for his future. 

“I was always very aware of how much responsibility I had, how blessed I was, and how lucky I was to be in the position I was in to be competing as a scholarship athlete,” he said. “I never took it for granted, so I think that made me appreciate the experience all the more.”

Durham felt that this opportunity was very beneficial to him, as it taught him important life skills, including responsibility and work ethic, which are still very important to him today. He also emphasized that being able to graduate with a degree from a prestigious university was something that was not only beneficial to him but was also very important to his family. 

“Having that degree, I’m the first person in my family to have a four-year degree from a major University. That really helped pave the way for my little sister and my niece and my nephew to be able to follow in my footsteps,” said Durham, who earned his Bachelor of Science in 2008. 

Some of Durham's favorite moments attending Maryland came both on and off the track. Hosting the ACC Championships in 2007 and competing at the NCAA Track and Field Championships that same year in Sacramento, California, were some of his proudest moments. 

“That was great to be able to have all the big-name schools come to campus and be on our turf. That was a great experience because you not only get to show out for your family, but you [now] get to show out for your friends, your people from the dining hall, your boys on the football team,” he said. 

Durham placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA East Regional as a senior, which qualified him for Nationals on the West Coast. He also ran an IC4A and NCAA Regional time of 51.48 in the 400-meter hurdles at the ACC Championships to place fourth.

Off the track, Durham was also able to make great memories and even met his best friend to this day, a former Terps cheerleader, Janelle Corrie. 

“[Janelle] is my best friend to this day. I visit her often in New York when I get a chance to, so having made one of my best friends in this world, who I would probably do anything for, and meeting at the University of Maryland has been great,” he said. 

Since graduating, Durham has not only continued to compete in track and field, but he has also become an athletic administrator and lead educator for the Washington D.C. Public Schools. All while he is completing his MBA program at the University of Maryland, which he will finish this Spring. 

Durham is also very generous and dedicates a lot of his time to volunteering in the Washington D.C. area, as well as continuing to support his mother and adopted sister in Florida, in any way he can. 

“I work with an organization called Athletes For Hope, and I’ve done some volunteer work with them. Leading students, students with disabilities, doing physical sports and physical activities. I've also worked with Michelle Obama’s Let's Move Healthy Active Schools campaign. I got to be a celebrity guest speaker at a few schools in D.C., and they got grants for applying. That was a very cool and fun experience,” he said.

Durham explains that receiving a scholarship at the University of Maryland was a very rewarding experience, which helped him reach the success that he has had to this day. He shows a lot of gratitude for the donors of his scholarship and is very thankful for the experience that he has had. 

“Definitely understand what impact you have and never devalue what you can give or how much it can help out a student-athlete. Every little bit counts, so don't discount what you can offer or what you can do for student-athletes because you never know how it might affect [their] lives,” he said. “I know that had I not had the opportunity to go to Maryland, everything would be different. So I really appreciated that opportunity.”

Whether it's in the classroom or on the track, Durham is making a difference thanks to his time as a scholarship student-athlete at Maryland. And, maybe we will see him representing the Terps and Team USA this summer. Stay tuned.