Team Spotlight: Shené Randall
Shené was adopted from Seoul, South Korea when she was six months old, and grew up as an only child in rural Upstate NY. Throughout her formative years, she was the only Asian in her family as well as in most of the spaces she occupied. As a result, she largely focused on assimilating and did not value or seek out opportunities to connect with her Korean heritage.
She attended UMass Amherst, majoring in English Education and went on to live and teach in Boston. She taught 7th grade English Language Arts for eight years before moving to Colorado with her husband.
It was in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 that Shené found herself grappling with her Korean adoptee identity as well as her identity as an Asian American. She largely processed her feelings through writing, and that led her to connect with others in the Asian adoptee community. It was through these connections that she felt compelled to amplify adoptees’ stories in the hopes of spreading awareness around transracial adoption from the adoptee perspective. Some of her work around this includes co-founding an adoptee podcast, Seoul Conversations, presenting at KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network), sharing her story via “Love What Matters,” speaking at Heritage Camps, and currently piloting the first story writing Open Mic workshop through Boston Korean Adoptees.
Since her initial journey into exploring her identity, Shené has fully embraced her Korean Adoptee identity and really enjoys connecting with both the adopted and non-adopted Asian communities. She is thrilled to have found Asian Girls Ignite and is excited to work with the team, students, and families.
She sat down to answer some of our questions — keep reading on to learn more about her.
What advice would you give to your younger self as a Korean Adoptee?
Looking back, I would tell myself, “YOU are enough.” Growing up, especially in middle and high school, I often felt like my worth was determined by my achievements. I firmly believe that this was a result of subconsciously not feeling Asian or white enough and feeling like I needed to make my parents happy, despite the fact that they never put any pressure on me to do or be anything other than myself. I wish that my younger self could have moved more confidently through the world and felt secure in living my life for me instead of for others.
What passions or creative pursuits do you have?
I am equally passionate about empowering the next generation of AAPI girls and also helping educate others about transracial adoption. Creatively, I love writing and stories, so I am happiest pursuing these passions through creating writing and storytelling workshops, developing curriculum, and podcasting. I also would love to write a book someday.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
My biggest hope for the future is that the next generation of AAPI girls and adoptees will not experience some of the challenges that I did. At the very least, I hope that they will be better equipped with tools and confidence to navigate those challenges.
What’s one word or quote to describe your journey as an adoptee?
Constantly evolving. The journey as an adoptee is a lifelong one. I’ve gone through many feelings and phases regarding my adoption and identity as an adoptee over the last 33 years, and each and every one of them has been valuable and valid at the time. Some phases are harder, some more beautiful, and some more confusing than anything else, but what has helped me the most in navigating all of them has been having my parents be extremely supportive no matter what.
What advice do you have for other adoptees?
You have your own story, and it is powerful. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of that because people speak for us, make assumptions, or focus solely on the stories of adoptive parents or first families, but you and your story are at the center. Your feelings, perspectives, and experiences matter.
What do you like about working with AGI?
I absolutely LOVE the sense of community at AGI. Joanne, Mehgan, and the rest of the AGI team is unlike any job I’ve had or organization I’ve worked with in the sense that they truly care about every single person involved: students, team members, parents, storytellers, community partners, etc. Their passion for AGI’s mission is palpable to anyone who interacts with them, and it makes it a wonderful space to be in.
How do you celebrate your Asian American Identity?
My favorite way to celebrate my Asian American Identity is by infusing my daughter’s life with Korean food, traditions, and celebrations in ways that feel the most authentic to me and our family. I used to get really hung up on whether or not I was doing everything the “right” way, but I’ve learned that isn’t what’s the most important. Instead, I prioritize focusing on making meaningful memories and having fun.
If you would like to get to know Shené more. Feel free to register for our next event — a meet and greet with her! Learn more here.
