You're All That I Can Call My Own: To Gladney's Families

What It's Like to be Adopted

If you know me, you know I never shut up about adoption. I can, and will, talk your ear off about anything and everything adoption for as long as you’ll let me. However, the toughest question I’ve ever been asked on the subject is probably, “What’s it like to be adopted?” Although I typically shy away from this specific question, I’ll answer it here:
I really, truly do not know.
In the mere twenty years and twenty-three days I have been alive, I have never felt “adopted.” I have never felt like there was a time in my life where I didn’t belong in the Twomey family; it’s just not something I consciously think about. I’ve got two awesome parents, three wacko siblings, a fantastic grandma, and a really intelligent dog, all of whom I love more than anyone and anything else on this planet.
Now, I don’t confuse that with the knowledge that I am adopted. My bedtime story growing up was the story of my dad’s trip to Texas to come get me when he got the news my birthmother was in labor. I know my…

5 Semesters Later and Still Loving Gladney

I started interning as a volunteer with the Colombian Adoption department, which was an amazing experience. I switched to The Birth Parent Services Department in the Fall 2013 semester for some more client interaction and hands-on experience. Working in the Birth Parent Services Department, there is literally never a dull moment!
Another great privilege of interning for multiple semesters was I got to shadow a case with a birth mom named Julie* from the very beginning all the way to post placement. Contact with birth mothers can often end abruptly if birth moms come to Gladney late in their pregnancy, cut off contact with us immediately after they relinquish their parental rights, or sometimes just don't keep us in the loop. With Julie's case, I was there from the initial meeting all the way to her placement. I shadowed Julie's weekly meetings and even led a few myself :) Julie lived in Gladney's Guest House, so I frequently transported her to various appointments an…

Hello again, Gladney!

Hello again, Gladney!
I first came to Gladney in the fall of 2012 as a volunteer. I needed to put in hours at a social work agency for my degree program. I knew I wanted a career in a field where families are the focus, so adoption seemed like a great field to look into! Gladney immediately took my interest seriously and before I knew it I was interviewing for a volunteer position. My time at Gladney as a volunteer was short but even in that short time span I realized how much more went into this process than I originally thought. Adoption is a very in depth process and it takes many people to help everyone complete their journey with adoption. Everyone I met seemed so enthusiastic and passionate about what they did there. The staff at Gladney really does take pride in bringing families together. I knew I wanted to come back again one day.
When it came time to do my internship for school, I knew I wanted to go back to Gladney. I listed Gladney as my top pick and hoped for the best. Than…

A Day in the Life of a Gladney Intern

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