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As we close out the 2024–2025 programming term, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Whether this was your very first year engaging with Also-Known-As or your 29th, we are so lucky—and so honored—to be in community with you.
Your continued presence, intentional support, and willingness to collaborate make this space what it is: a place where adoptees can show up fully, explore identity, build relationships, and lift one another up. From attending events to volunteering your time, sharing stories, or simply showing up in solidarity—every act of connection helps us grow stronger together.
Thank you for your trust and your care. Keep scrolling below for exciting announcements!
With appreciation and excitement for what’s ahead,
Also-Known-As
Meet this year’s recipient!
Also-Known-As is thrilled to announce Olivia Diaz (she/her) as the recipient of our 2025 Adoptee Excellence Scholarship—please join us in congratulating her!
Olivia is a Colombian adoptee and recent graduate of Vero Beach High School in Florida. During her time in high school, she was the principal violinist of the second violin section of her school’s orchestra, a member of the JV/Varsity Weightlifting Team, and a member of the Mock Trial Club. Like many transracial adoptees raised in communities that did not racially or culturally mirror their own, Olivia often felt disconnected from her Hispanic heritage. “This sense of difference was compounded by the lack of representation and cultural awareness around me,” she writes. “It wasn’t just a feeling of being different—it was the awareness that my background wasn’t reflected in the world around me.” In spite of these challenges, she took it upon herself to learn Spanish and discover more about Colombian history, traditions, and music.
Growing up, Olivia struggled with challenges associated with having a submucous cleft palate. This condition, which affects the development of the palette and is common in many parts of the world, is linked to genetic factors, especially among those with an indigenous heritage. Speaking clearly was difficult for her and she often felt “self-conscious” about her voice. Things began to change when she joined 4-H where she found a supportive community that encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and compete as a public speaker. Starting with small speeches, Olivia gained confidence over time and turned her perceived weakness into one of her strengths. “What once made me feel insecure,” she writes, “has now become one of my greatest sources of pride.” Olivia has since become President of the Student Government Association, co-President of Model U.N., and a 4-H leader, all positions where the skill of public speaking is essential.
In 2023, she was a participant in the Florida Senate Page Program which allowed her to work behind the scenes at the Florida State Senate, and fueled her interest in public service. As a Page, she helped deliver messages, assist senators, and manage the legislative process. She notes that witnessing debates specifically about immigration policy—as well as how they were debated—felt “personally relevant” and contributed to her understanding of the human stakes involved. “It was clear that these policies directly impact real people in life-changing ways [and] solidified my belief that effective advocacy requires understanding the process and the people involved, ensuring that communities—particularly immigrant communities—are represented in these important debates.”
In the fall, she will study Political Science at the University of Chicago and focus on international affairs and public policy. Inspired by her experience at the Florida State Senate, adoptee identity, and passion for social justice, her ultimate goal is to become an immigration attorney. “As an adoptee from a Hispanic background, I have witnessed the challenges faced by immigrant communities [and] have seen firsthand how policy can either support or hinder these individuals . . . These experiences inspired me to pursue a career where I could make a tangible difference in the lives of immigrants and marginalized groups.”
Congratulations, Olivia! We are ecstatic to recognize and celebrate you with the awarding of this scholarship. Adoptees like you and your fellow applicants serve as fine representatives of our international adoptee community and beacons of hope for a brighter future. We applaud the example you set for adoptees across our country and wish you all the best in the years ahead.
About the Selection Process
Qualities the Also-Known-As Scholarship Committee looked for in our recipient, beyond high academic achievement, were a strong sense of adoptee identity; dedication to both the adoptee community and to their local community; ambition and drive to achieve both short- and long-term goals; and individual growth, among others. This process proved to be extremely thoughtful and thorough; no two candidates were the same, which made the committee’s job both exciting and difficult. Olivia’s powerful use of her adoptee identity in her personal life, academics, and professional goals resonated greatly with the committee. They were also highly impressed by her maturity, resilience, advocacy, and by the steps she has already taken at such a young age to achieve her goals.
This year, the committee received 78 applicants from across the country, representing 31 states, each of a high caliber with outstanding academic performance. Candidates were internationally adopted at various ages and from 14 countries: China, Colombia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Mali, Russia, Rwanda, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. They carefully reviewed each application to find candidates that best exemplified the scholarship’s mission: to honor an adoptee student whose integrity, drive, and leadership has led them to serving others while pursuing a life of purpose and significance, and sought out applicants who, while facing and exploring their own adoptee and racial identities—as well as the complexities and nuances that accompany them—have also used their unique experiences to help others find their own voice and place. Each committee member was deeply moved by these young adoptees who have pursued personal and academic excellence, as well as distinguished themselves as leaders at their schools, in their communities, and within the larger international adoptee community.
Also-Known-As would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Emily Brillon, Katie Mantele, Andrew McFarland, Isabelle St. Clair, Adam van Eeckhout, and Margaret Yannopoulos for their time, empathy, care, and dedication to each and every applicant.
Photo courtesy of Olivia Diaz.
The Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship would not be possible without the support and enthusiasm of our community. If you would like to help support the scholarship, please donate to our scholarship fund. You can learn more about how to donate here.
With Gratitude to Our Adoptee Excellence Scholarship Director
As this year’s scholarship cycle comes to a close, we extend our deepest gratitude to Katie Mantele for her visionary leadership of the Adoptee Excellence Scholarship program since 2021. Katie’s unwavering commitment has helped ensure that this vital scholarship remains a sustainable source of support for the next generation of adoptees in their educational journeys.
Over the past year, Katie has expanded her impact through active leadership and engagement with IAMAdoptee and the Nanchang Project, all while leading this year’s scholarship cycle with heart and intention. Her guidance was instrumental in selecting another outstanding recipient and in thoughtfully preparing the next wave of leadership for the Adoptee Excellence Scholarship program internally.
We honor Katie’s legacy—a legacy of sustainability, purpose, and deep care for the adoptee community. We are profoundly grateful for the foundation she’s built and for the lives she’s touched through her work. We wish her all the best as she continues to uplift adoptee voices and honor the depth and complexity of adoptee journeys.
Thank you, Katie, for everything you’ve poured into this program and the community it supports.
Emily Brillon (she/her) was born in Manila, Philippines in 1992 and is a transracial and transnational adoptee raised in Massachusetts. She has been part of AKA since 2019 and is currently based in Queens. She graduated from Empire State University and the Fashion Institute of Technology for Curatorial and Art History studies and currently works at the Cooper Hewitt museum. For AKA, she particularly enjoys working on scholarship and is usually found behind the camera at events.
Ryan Dritz, LCSW, is a transracial adoptee from Bogotá, Colombia, who was raised in Saratoga, NY. He holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and currently works at Mount Sinai Hospital's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Program, specializing in both the inpatient and outpatient psychosocial experience associated with terminal blood cancers. Ryan is the recipient of the Dr. Susan Blumenfield Clinical Excellence Award (2023) and is passionate about discussing how adoption and masculinity intersect in healing and meaningful ways. Ryan is also involved in Las Estrellas, an evolving community of Latin American transracial adoptees living in and around New York City.
He currently resides in Harlem with his two cats, Whiskey and Kokomo, and is committed to deepening his understanding of his own adoption journey while supporting others in theirs during his first year serving on the board.
Can you believe it? The BIG 3-0 is just around the corner! 🥳 We’re gearing up to celebrate 30 years of building community, sharing stories, and honoring the incredible voices of international adoptees everywhere. Get ready for an unforgettable celebration filled with joy, connection, and the powerful voices that make up our ever-growing family. This milestone is extra special as we bring you 30 Years, 30 Stories—a heartfelt theme spotlighting the diverse experiences of adoptees from across the globe. 🌍✨
Check out our newly launched website where you can find more information on how to participate in this historic celebration. We can’t wait to see you there!
We are excited to announce a re-launch of our new Also-Known-As Membership platform! We have updated our membership tiers to offer more choice AND more incentives for becoming a new member.
Why should you become a member of Also-Known-As? 🧩
Becoming a member means investing in our adoptee community. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run entirely by volunteers, your support helps us host meaningful events, bring in guest speakers, and make our programming accessible to all.
For nearly 30 years, Also-Known-As has created space for adoptees to connect, share, and feel seen. Joining Also-Known-As is more than just a community, it is family.
Join us today and help support adoptees now and for the future.
If you’re already a paying member, we’re deeply grateful for your continued support. No action is needed on your part. We’ll be reaching out to you shortly with options for your current membership plan.
