Our adoptee-mentors lead with their lived experiences.
Anna Allanbrook
1:1 Mentor for adoptees ages 12 and up
Anna (she/her) is a retired public school teacher and principal and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has mentored adoptees since the early 2000’s. Anna has two children and four grandchildren. Adopted in London, England in 1955, Anna found her birth mother’s family in 2000 and her birth father’s family in 2022. Anna enjoys swimming, biking, reading, writing and painting.
Anna has learned that adoption is a life-forming event and that no two adoption stories are alike. Anna believes that while you can only really know your own story, you can listen to and appreciate the multitude of stories that are out there.
Sarah Mascardo
1:1 Mentor & The Adoptee Lounge Facilitator
Sarah (they/them) is a non-binary African-Arab/Filpinx adoptee from the Philippines and was raised in Bay Area, California. They were adopted at 6yrs old by a Filipino couple through the foster care system. They graduated from Sofia University with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. Sarah’s current profession is a Mental Health Rehabilitation Speaclist in an STRTP for foster children ages 6-15yrs old. One of their lifelong dream is to create a wellness playground for adoptees & foster care folks to help reconnect them to their innate powers and celebrate their authentic selves. During their free time, you’ll often find them jamming out to music, visiting mama nature, immersing themselves in their environment through photography & trying different cultural foods, traveling, cultivating time for their spiritual hygiene, playing sports, and/or spending time with their wife & fur bbs.
Jenny Nau
The Adoptee Lounge Facilitator
Jenny (she/her) s a Seattle area educator with over a decade of experience as a secondary public school teacher, and is currently working in higher ed. In her work with youth, she has prioritized creating supportive and joyful communities that uplift the voices of her students. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her partner, daughter, and their dog, Dyna. She is an avid gamer, and loves to crochet and write
Jenny entered reunion with her biological family when she was 32-years-old and has enjoyed building relationships with her newfound family members. As a mentor, she seeks to provide supportive, validating spaces for adoptees to explore the complexity of adoption and be in community with one another. She believes that while there are many nuances to our unique adoptee stories, our collective experiences are a powerful tool to facilitate belonging, authenticity, and healing.
Lauren Noel
The Adoptee Lounge Faciliator
Lauren (she/her) lives in Seattle, Washington. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in mental health counseling. She loves neighborhood wandering, nature walks, art, volleyball, sharing a meal and cooking! She was adopted as an infant from South Korea and has always been curious about the many facets of identity discovery, especially as it relates to adoption.
Everyone has their own unique story and unfolding. She is looking to provide space for adoptees to share, explore and witness their own and others’ stories within community and find moments of connection.
Andrew Strappazon
1:1 Mentor for adoptees ages 12-22 & The Adoptee Lounge Facilitator
Andrew (he/him) was adopted from China, raised in Vancouver, WA, and has been in Seattle, WA since 2015. During his time at the University of Washington, he began to process his identity as an adoptee and how he wants to show up in the world. He likes learning about new things and has had the opportunity to travel to China, Greece, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and a handful of national parks in the United States. He enjoys watching sports, playing basketball, practicing hot yoga, and being outside (when the weather permits).
Andrew has worked within the customer service industry, education system, and as a personal trainer. He is currently a facilitator with a school-based group counseling program. Through continuous reflection and self-awareness, one of his goals is to create a space where others are seen, heard, appreciated, understood, and celebrated.
Andrew works with adoptees between the ages of 12-22.
Angela Tucker
1:1 Mentor & The Adoptee Lounge Facilitator
Angela (she/her) is a transracial adoptee, the author of “You Should Be Grateful”: Stories of Race, Identity and Transracial Adoption, the host of the podcast The Adoptee Next Door and the subject of the documentary CLOSURE. Angela lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Bryan and their cat "Grandma Pearl." When she's not working to amplify adoptee voices, you can find her at the spa, on the basketball court or hostessing at Jazz Alley. She drinks a London Fog nearly every single day, and is currently debating the importance of kicking this sugary (but, oh-so-delicious) habit.
Shannon Tyo
1:1 Mentor for adoptees ages 23 and up
Shannon (she/her) was born in South Korea and adopted to the States as an infant, yet still somehow ended up with the vaguely Asian-sounding last name of “Tyo”. She now lives in New York City, working as an actor and writer, enjoying hiking, beachcombing, and trying to visit every bakery in the city in her spare time. Shannon has found the online adoptee community invaluable, providing support and innate understanding regardless of location or background; to quote from an adoption-centric episode of the podcast Code Switch, “our homeland is each other.” She is ready to provide space to adoptees at any place in their journey and especially welcomes folx who are also in the queer community or who experience difficult relationships with their adoptive families, including estrangement.
Read Shannon’s piece about her trip back to Korea HERE.