Welcome to the Team: Jadzia Miller :

This month, we are excited and honored to welcome a new member to the Adoption Choices of Oklahoma team: Jadzia Miller! She will be working as an Editorial Intern with us for the next six months.

Jadzia is eager to sharpen and expand her writing and editing skills. She has a heart for others and for learning about different cultures. In addition, she loves being surrounded by books and encouraging others to find joy in reading as well. Ultimately, she dreams of a career in publishing or library science. As a transracial adoptee, she is excited to share her experiences and be an active part of our Editorial Internship.

Before she begins her regular blogs, I wanted to give her a chance to introduce herself and for you all to get to know her.

RR: When you hear the word,” adoption,” what comes to mind?

JM: When I was three, my two biological sisters and I were adopted into a family that already had four kids. This created a transracial family, as my sisters and I are African American and the rest of our family is Caucasian. The family that introduced my parents to the three of us was also a transracial family.

When I was younger, this was the understanding I had of adoption: you must be an African American in a predominantly Caucasian family. Of course, this is not the case. But I didn’t realize that adoption didn’t always look like a mixture of races in a family, or the adoptees being taken out of the foster care system.

Adoption is complex and multifaceted. While some children are involved in foster care, others are adopted at birth. Still more are adopted from different countries. Yet, the process of adoption stretches across all of these categories. I participated in this unique experience. Over the years, I have learned that adoption is a lot more common than I first imagined, yet many people don’t know or understand the complexities that go along with the process. Adoption actively pursues being in relation with others. It strives for the creation of a family. Being in the position to love on a child is an amazing opportunity, and so many people want to be a part of that.

RR: What/Who inspires you?

JM: Passionate people inspire me. I love watching people who are good at what they and who have a desire to strive in their hobbies or career choices. I have a lot of artistic friends who make me want to explore the artistic side of myself. Some write songs or sing; others write plays or act.

One of these lovely people has always been interested in musical theater and dance. When he reached college, he finally decided to be active in these activities that he had been so curious about. The fact that I get to see him acting on stage or raving about his new ballet shoes brings me so much joy. This inspires me to invest in things that bring me joy or spark my interest. Life is too short to be stuck inside your comfort zone and only invest time into things that are practical.

RR: What was the last book you read?

JM: The last book that I read was Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by British writer Suzanna Clarke. It is a lengthy fantasy novel and features magicians attempting to bring back magic in 19th century England in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. Until these practical magicians step onto the scene, “magician” is basically another name for a historian that specializes in the theory and history of magic. The two magicians change the study of magic, along with warfare, for England. It is an amazing book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with time on their hands and commitment on the brain. If you don’t feel like reading 1006 pages worth of words with your eyes, don’t worry! The audiobook is only thirty-two hours long.

RR: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

JM: The craziest thing that I have ever done happened in Europe with my best friend in the summer of 2019. Traveling doesn’t sound crazy and it isn’t for a lot of people. In fact, the trip was with a tour group. It was organized, structured and was only a total of eleven days. I was so out of my comfort zone the entire time. It wasn’t the different cultures or languages that made me nervous; it was the actual travel. The longest flight I was on was ten hours long – again, not that long of a time, unless you have an irrational fear of heights and falling like I do. I was terrified of dropping into the ocean at any minute.

Seeing different cities is fascinating, exciting and breath-taking. That is, if you don’t have an irrational fear of getting lost and being stuck in a place, unable to go home. I was an anxious mess the entire trip, but I was so glad I did it. I put myself far, far out of my comfort zone and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

RR: What are you passionate about? Why?

JM: I am passionate about stories. Whether fictitious or real-life experiences, stories are a crucial part of how we view and understand the world. They can evoke strong emotions in us, relay truths or ideas, and share experiences.

Think about the Greek myths and legends, for instance. Passed down orally from generation to generation – many of which are still accessible to people today. Some of the values and morals found in these stories are part of our foundational values today.

Popular books and movies reach thousands of kids across the globe and connect them, despite language barriers and continental boundaries. Your own story may not seem impactful, but you may be able to relate to or comfort those around you. That is so exciting to think about!

Words have power and purpose. I want to continue to learn why some stories cross nations and generations, while some never leave a notebook in a desk drawer.

RR: What are you currently watching on Netflix?

JM: One thing you need to know about me is that I am not an avid TV watcher and it bugs many of the people in my life. If I give in and watch a show, I will probably end up watching it several times instead of finding something new. That being said, the two shows that I am currently cycling through are Disenchantment and Schitt’s Creek. Both of these are comedies, and I am enjoying them a lot. Disenchantment is in its second round of watching, and Schitt’s Creek in its first.

I stumbled across Disenchantment through the very relatable process of scrolling through the titles on Netflix until I didn’t even feel like watching a show anymore. It was one of the first Netflix original series on the recommended tab after I scrolled through almost every option, and I decided to settle. It has ended up being one of my better decisions in life.

Schitt’s Creek was all thanks to my best friend who is far better at watching TV and picking shows than I am. She said, “Have you seen this? No? Well, we are watching it now,” and the rest is history.

RR: What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

JM: When I was younger, I had a lot of different careers. These options included: being a fashion designer, an interior decorator, a wedding planner, or a hotel owner/manager. Just to name a few. Looking at my life now, those options are slightly ridiculous and definitely hilarious. The most consistent idea that continues to be a dream of mine today is owning my own coffee and book shop. I think it is every book lover’s dream to someday own their own business that is based on two things they find their comfort in: warm drinks and novels. I have always loved reading, and it is a comfort that can rarely be matched by anything else. Sharing that part of my life with other people, and encouraging them in an activity that they find joy in, is something that I wanted to do as a child and still desire to do as an adult.

RR: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Why?

JM: When I am not working, I love listening to music and being around people that I love. As much as I love reading and enjoy it in my free time, listening to music is an unmatched experience. I cannot sit still when I listen to music. I let it move me wherever it sees fit. I love letting go and letting another person’s artistry wash over me. It is amazing to be a part of someone else’s creative brain. Live music is an amazing experience as well.

Recently, my friends and I went to a jazz concert and I was in awe of these musicians’ instrumental talent. People are so cool, and I love being a part of that.

RR: What are your career aspirations?

JM: I am not entirely certain what I would like to do after I finish my college education. Writing is something I love doing and am interested in further exploring – whether creatively or academically. Working at a library is another career option for me because then I would have the ability to read and write on a daily basis. I would love to go back into the library system and continue to explore library science.

One thing I know for certain is that I will be doing something in the realm of stories. Stories have moved me forward and pushed me to the place I am today, and I know this will continue in the future.

RR: Why Adoption Choices?

JM: Adoption is one of the first things I was certain about. It is something that I have known and understood about myself and my history from a very young age. While I have experienced the hard parts of adoption, I have also experienced the amazing joys that come with it.

When I saw that Adoption Choices had an internship opportunity, I experienced an overwhelming certainty that it was an opportunity I could not pass up. I love that people have the desire to create a family where there wasn’t one before, and the love and happiness that adoption provides. As a result, I felt strongly that I needed to be an active part of the organization while contributing my hard-earned skills. Adoption Choices, to me, is the culmination of everything I love in one experience.