Adam grew up in Longmont, Colorado, where he took his first German language class in high school. He continued studying German throughout his undergraduate years and later spent a semester abroad in Germany. Not wanting to lose the language skills he had acquired, Adam attended a German language immersion camp in the ski valley of Taos, New Mexico. This experience ultimately led him to California State University, Long Beach, where he completed his MA in German Studies in 2016.
He then spent two years as a United States Teaching Assistant with Fulbright Austria in the town of Kufstein, located in the Tirolean Alps. Adam later moved to Davis, California, where he spent seven years teaching German while earning his PhD in German Studies from UC Davis. He joined the German Language School at the end of 2025.
Outside the classroom, Adam enjoys playing ice hockey, surfing, and staying active outdoors.