She also describes her mom as always being a glass half-full person and loves that she is so confidently unfashionable, a trait that Gracie shares with her.
Gracie was adopted from Changzhou in the Jiangsu province when she was 9 months old. Gracie grew up with her sister, who was also adopted from China, and her two moms. Gracie grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Winston Salem, NC. Currently, Gracie is looking forward to attending PA (Physician Assistant) school at Wake Forest University. One of Gracie’s moms is a scientist and she credits her for introducing her to science, which sparked her curiosity and love for problem-solving. She also describes her mom as always being a glass half-full person and loves that she is so confidently unfashionable, a trait that Gracie shares with her. She adores both of her moms for being good and loving parents.
Gracie has been back to China twice. The first time with a group of other adoptees and the second time with her family. She remembers visiting the orphanage that she was left outside of and it being “kind of weird” and very emotionally impactful. Her moms kept the orphanage name, “Ping,” as her middle name. On her trips, Gracie also enjoyed experiencing the Chinese culture. CCI has helped Gracie explore her identity as a Chinese adoptee and reconcile with the fact that her race will never match her culture. Gracie’s time at college in Western North Carolina prompted her to think more about her transracial identity. She adds that “it’s been tough,” but talking with other adoptees and therapy has really helped. Gracie highly recommends her therapist, Katie Naftzger, who is a Korean adoptee herself – the link to her website is down below. In her free time, you can find Gracie enjoying mountain biking and kayaking. Gracie often finds she’s the minority in her sports, – being the only female and person of color in sports typically dominated by white men – and so she’s “learning to take it in stride and with grace.” The link to Katie Naftzger’s website: https://adoptiontherapyma.net/
Humans of CCI profile in 2020