College has been my main catalyst for self discovery and exploring my roots. I never had an interest in learning about my past until my senior year of high school. Each adoptee has the right to choose their identity and whether they want to pursue more information. I recently decided to research my past and watch documentaries about adoption in my free time. 

My time at MICA has been filled with self discovery and validation that I am "Asian enough" and "multiracial enough" to identify with these groups despite internal feelings of inadequacy. I began not even identifying that closely with the mixed community but now I see myself more multiracial than Asian.

The end of 2020 through early 2021 have been a rollercoaster for me and I started pursuing therapy for the first time in my life. Mental health was always something that I struggled with but never addressed until recently. After completing my time with my therapist, I highly recommend it to anyone who may be struggling the same way I was. As a University of Maryland student, everyone has 8 free therapy sessions through the counseling center and access to the 24/7 phone line specifically for UMD.