Adoptee group helps students find belonging, thrive on campus
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Outdoor enthusiast. Extrovert. Maple syrup-maker. Disc golfer. Tim Smolenski, B.A.'10, is many things, but there's one identity he never really talked about: adoptee. After a personal journey exploring his own roots, he's created a space at Western Michigan University for students with similar backgrounds to find belonging.
"I'm so blessed and fortunate to have been adopted by such a loving and accepting family, but my adoption wasn't really a topic of conversation. And as a young adolescent growing up, I was just trying my best to fit in," says Smolenski, who was born in Korea and grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
"During the pandemic, I started to explore my own adoption history. It has led to so many wonderful revelations … and it was fulfilling in a lot of ways."
He also interacted with people with similar lived experiences and found comfort in speaking with them and building community. Back on campus, Smolenski saw an opportunity to draw from that personal experience and build on his role within Multicultural Affairs for Students.
"Part of my role as a navigation specialist is to build relationships with students, create a sense of belonging and allow students to find themselves so they can thrive both inside and outside the classroom," says Smolenski.
In fall 2023, he created an adoptee group for students, posting flyers around campus inviting anyone who has experienced adoption to come to a meeting.
"It was an idea that had grown from knowing that while everyone's experiences vary widely, we all share a sensation of navigating an identity built on absences as much as presences," he says.
The group started with five members. By spring 2025, there were 20—ranging from first-year undergraduate students to those pursuing doctoral degrees.
"Growing up … I had never had another adopted classmate. When I went to this group's first meeting, I could not believe how many adoptees were in the group. It was the most adopted people I'd seen in my life!" says Maya Rice, an undergraduate criminal justice and social work student from suburban Chicago who was adopted from Guatemala. "I love hearing everyone's stories and being able to connect with them emotionally, which helps me feel less alone."
"I'm rather introverted and find it hard to talk to new people, but I think the sense of community has made that feeling disappear," adds Addison Osgood, an undergraduate psychology student from St. Joseph, Michigan, who was adopted from China. "Being adopted is a part of myself that I've never really talked about with other people, and it's nice to be able to bond with others."
Meetings range from getting together to talk to painting and Lego-building activities.
"I found that creative activities help ease the pressure when discussing vulnerable topics. People open up more naturally when their hands are busy. This lets us talk more freely and makes the space feel more like friends just hanging out," says Smolenski.
"We've established and built a support system between the members of our group, just sharing humanity—I feel like that's really important. The willingness of everyone to open up about such personal journeys—to trust the group with their vulnerabilities and questions—has exceeded anything I'd hoped for when I first posted the flyers around campus."
"I think college campuses are a great opportunity to find one's community and what better way to do this than through relating on deeper levels," adds Kaia Gallagher, a higher education student affairs master's student from Chesterfield, Michigan, who was adopted from China.
The adoptee group is open to any student who has been adopted—internationally or domestically. Those interested in joining can reach out to Smolenski directly for more information.
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