The Mission
Positively Oriented strives to help adoptees turn adversity into strength, grow through their experiences, and become the best versions of themselves.
"Although I have always been Chinese, I had the luxury of burying my head in the dirt, ignoring it, and trying to fit in."
"Being a minority in America has many challenges and comes with many different adversities. We are not alone here in the land of opportunity."
"I was falling behind. I didn't have friends and I was alone. All I cared about was fitting in and nobody was there to tell how to get through these challenges as an adoptee."
"I reflected on reasons why I couldn't have accomplished more...why I didn't play varsity soccer, why I didn't have great grades, why I didn't do this or that. I realized I took my hardships in life as a reason to find comfort rather than a reason to push forward."
"We all need time to understand what happened to us. For a long time, I refused the truth and struggled with who I was. I just figured I didn't want others to struggle like me so it took improving myself first to want to help others."
About Us
Positively Oriented is an adoptee-founded consulting firm dedicated to supporting the adoption community through guidance, education, and authentic storytelling. Rooted in lived experience, we understand the challenges of identity, belonging, and recognition that can shape the adoption journey.Our mission is to help adoptees turn adversity into strength, grow through their experiences, and become the best versions of themselves.
Our Stories Told Positively
Adoption stories have a multitude of challenges that often keeps adoptees in "the fog." Many of these stories we hear are sad and of individuals in the midst of adversities. Positively Oriented aims to support families through these difficulties and reminds everyone there are an equal amount of positives from our stories. Understandably, changing mentality is not a flip of the switch and it takes special intuitive care that only other people who experienced it first-hand can provide. Our stories holds real influence and our ability to overcome challenges transforms mental hurdles of others who are in the middle of their trials.
Why I Started Positively Oriented
I was a 7 year old boy who came from a foreign land traversing America with diverse experiences as an adopted Asian-American. My story is about the adversities, struggles of identities, and lessons I have experienced along my journey.
When I came to America, I truly only had 1 immediate challenge and that was everyday when my parents left for work and I had to go to school. I remember how excited I was when my dad would be home or whenever I was being picked up by my mom.
Shortly after starting school, my challenge then was finding friends which was not always easy being singled out to go to first grade after kindergarten or being pulled aside to practice my English. Of course, being stubborn and wanting to fit in, I lost my language, culture, and anything that made me stick out.
On top of dealing with the same issues other kids had to in middle school and high school, family life, friends, and identity compounded. It was not under college when I started to open up about my true self.
I struggled and I was alone. It took knowing that I wanted to help kids who grew up with similar disadvantages, not having a community, and forced to grow up too soon to get me "out of the fog." Today, I work hard to make every child happy from coaching, to teaching, to my everyday life.