Over the course of the fall semester, a new club has been developed by students with a unique similarity: They are all adopted.
The Adopted Student Organization, or ASO, is a new club geared toward forging a community on campus among students who have been adopted. Octavia Zagorec and Alyssa Enright, the club’s co-presidents, have found solace in connecting with individuals who, like them, share the experience of being adopted.
“I was not expecting that there would be that many adopted students at Northeastern,” said Zagorec, a third-year media arts major who initially proposed the idea for the organization to Enright, a second-year journalism and criminal justice combined major. Zagorec said she was surprised by the response from other adopted students who were interested in joining the club.
“I wanted to see if other adopted students would think a club is a good idea,” she said. “I have gotten all positive feedback, and here we are.”
After receiving Zagorec’s initial message, Enright agreed the club would be a great idea.
“I always thought that if I were to ever start a club, it would probably be around adoption,” Enright said. “Because there isn’t an adopted student club at Northeastern.”
Although ASO has not yet received official club status from the university, Zagorec and Enright are excited about sending in their application to become an official club when the application opens later this month.
“We are planning to have some fundraisers in the spring semester once our club gets approved,” said Chloe Strawn, a second-year health sciences major and ASO’s co-director of operations.
Strawn, along with her fellow board members, is passionate about the club’s mission and sharing her experience of being adopted as a child.
“Growing up, I didn’t have an outlet to express my feelings or experiences as an adoptee,” she said. “I grew up in a predominantly white community, and as an Asian adoptee, I experienced racism and was bullied when I was younger.”
The club also provides a safe space for people to explore their identity as trans-racial adoptees.
“[Having a club where other people are adopted] gives me that outlet and safe space to talk about feeling like you’re almost in between two cultures,” said Lily Cormier, a third-year business administration major and ASO’s treasurer. “Racially, I’m Chinese, but internally, I feel white. It’s like I’m a mix of both, but I’m not really a mix of both. I’m kind of in that weird no man’s land.”
According to Enright, each meeting is discussion-based and provides members with an opportunity to speak about their experiences as adoptees and learn about other experiences.
“There’s different types of adoption,” Zagorec said. “I have always been curious about other people’s adoption stories as well.”
The club is still in its initial stages and board members are brainstorming events, including crafts, conversation, icebreakers and outings, according to Zagorec.Enright said meetings aren’t just for those who have been adopted, but for others who want to learn about adoption stories. “We’ll probably do some type of meeting where we can educate people who are interested in adopting in the future,” she said.
Zagorec, Enright, Strawn and Cormier share a common vision for their club: They aspire to create an inclusive space where every Northeastern student who is an adoptee feels at ease sharing their stories.
“Send the people you know who have been adopted or have been in foster care,” Zagorec said. “My roommate is not adopted, but is interested in adoption and hearing people’s stories.”
