Adrienne Smith
Ithaca College
Adrienne Smith, a second year student at Ithaca College, is a student leader addressing the need for improved resources for adoptees and adoptive families. For the past two years, Adrienne has been working closely with the Jockey Being Family (JBF) initiative to bring awareness to the need to increase and improve the resourcefulness of organizations that work within the adoption process. Adrienne has been instrumental in raising funds that go toward the JBF initiative, and has organized several events to increase involvement in JBF. She is currently working on a new fundraiser in collaboration with the Ithaca College bookstore, and with my full support, in order to get more IC students involved with this amazing effort.
Personal Statement
Jockey Being Family (JBF) is Jockey International's charitable foundation whose mission is to help adoptive families thrive by raising funds for post adoptive services. I chose to accept JBF's invitation to become their first college ambassador because I believe that every child deserves to grow up in a loving family and have a forever home. There shouldn't be any other options. I was adopted from Seoul, Korea when I was six months old. My birth parents didn't have the means to properly care for me and made the ultimate sacrifice in placing me for adoption.
I was initially drawn to the Foundation because of the positive light they shed on adoption. Ultimately, I'd like everyone to have a better understanding of adoption and the dynamic of adoptive families. Adoption isn't second best; it's just another way that families are formed. To me, adoption gives hope and symbolizes new beginnings. All too often, being adopted is seen as a bad thing, like you really don't belong.
At Ithaca College, I am charged with carrying out the JBF mission while engaging students, faculty and other campus members. Jockey Being Family gives me a platform to initiate positivity about adoption and inclusion.
