Connection Weekends are a chance to get away for a long weekend to engage with fellow adoptees from around the country. They’re a brief intermission in life’s hustle and bustle and a fantastic way to check in, reflect, and reconnect with the adoptee community.
Every Connection Weekend promises to bring workshops that matter, conversations that inspire, and plenty of freedom to explore.
The Beyond Adopteen Council is a small group of adult adoptees who help shape the Connection Weekend experience. As a council member, you’ll serve as a sounding board—gut-checking programming ideas, flagging blind spots, and helping network with your community. This is a low-commitment, high-impact role for someone who is passionate about the adult adoptee community and wants to help create a weekend that truly serves it.Â
Requirements
Preferred but not required:
Don’t let the costs of registration keep you from accessing important adoptee community connections!
Thanks to generous donors, we are able to provide financial assistance to attendees who are unable to afford the costs of attendance. Partial and full fee waivers are available!
Applications will be reviewed promptly, with respect and care. Please contact us with any questions.
Funds are distributed on a case-by-case basis.
I have been involved with Adopteen since 2020. I have attended 2 previous Beyond Adopteen Retreats. Being involved with Beyond Adopteen has given me a greater adoptee community from across the USA and Canada.
I received my undergraduate degree in Communication from the University of Dayton in 2013. I am currently working on my Master’s Degree in Communication. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, exercising, watching and analyzing movies, and playing with my cat.
Hello! My name is AnnaLee (not Anna) and I am originally from Taizhou, China. I first became involved with Adopteen’s local chapter meet-ups. Since then I have connected to fellow adoptees through other local groups. I’m excited to join the Beyond Adopteen committee as I have loved joining a community full of people from a similar background.
I currently work in FinTech and am always happy to chat if you need help with anything! In my free time you can find me riding horses, running, crafting, hiking, and traveling!
Hello! My name is Lara Chunko. I was adopted from Hunan, China, and I currently live in San Diego. I’ve been to the 2016 Adopteen Midpoint Retreat, 2024 Beyond Adopteen, and 2025 Grand Heritage Tour events and I loved them. In my free time, I enjoy dancing, reading, or watching tv. I’m looking forward to contributing to this amazing community!
By day, I work in digital advertising as a product researcher, developer, and manager—building platform features, analyzing online behavior, and helping clients use data to make smarter ad decisions. Whether it’s through Python scripts or strategic insights, my goal is to improve ad performance and make sure every dollar is spent reaching the right audience.
Outside of work, I’m a passionate dancer and instructor, specializing in hip hop and heels with roots in ballet and jazz. I perform regularly and teach weekly classes focused on both technique and expression.
I am excited to be on the 2025 Beyond Adopteen committee this year! Building space that supports self-discovery, community bonding, and real-life skill-building is something deeply meaningful to me as part of the adoptee community.
Hey everyone! My name is Zoe and I have been involved w/ Adopteen since the Midpoint Conference in 2014. I was adopted from Guangxi Province, China and 11 months old and grew up in Texas with a single mom. I am a current graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and recently came back from a year in Taiwan with the Fulbright Program. Before that, I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Psychology and minors in Math and Chinese. I am also currently interning at an outpatient treatment program for adolescents!Â
In my free time, I enjoy watching shows and movies, hanging out with friends, crocheting, dancing, and playing with my cat. I am so excited to be back to help plan my second Beyond Adopteen Retreat and look forward to having an amazing retreat!
Beyond Adopteen Retreat refund policy is as follows:
**If a participant is unable to attend due to any unforeseen emergency or distress before or during the Retreat, we will do our best to refund as much as possible.
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