Our Former Volunteers
We thank our former Nanchang Project volunteers for their time and dedication to support our mission!
Bryanna Young
Ambassador + Strategist
she/her
Bryanna was adopted from Chengdu, China, and grew up in the Bay Area, California. She is a marketing specialist for a sustainable start-up and pursues freelance photography on the side. She also loves going to the beach, spending time with her dog Marshmallow, and traveling to new places. Bryanna joined the Nanchang Project in hopes of learning from other adoptees and acting as an advocate for adoptee voices.
Camille-Li Proteau
Origins Searches
she/her
Camille-Li was adopted from Bengbu, Anhui, in 1996 and was raised outside of Montréal, Canada. Since the start of COVID-19, she became interested in searching for her birth family. Camille-Li seeks her roots and origins in order to find her birth parents and better understand herself. As Camille-Li knows how searching can represent a rollercoaster of emotions, she wishes to help and support other adoptees through their search process. She’s happy and eager to do this through Nanchang Project.
Ewolyn Collins
Origins Searches
she/her
Elowyn was born in Chenzhou, Hunan, and raised in Oregon, USA. Throughout her schooling, she was a student in a Mandarin language immersion program for about 15 years. She is proud of her Chinese heritage and does what she can to learn more through language, food, and more. Elowyn is currently an undergraduate student studying international and global studies with an Asia region focus.
Emily Gruber
Grants and Research
she/her
Emily was adopted from Jiangxi province in China. She currently lives and works in New York City, where she enjoys taking walks around the park, going to shows, and trying new foods (and taking photos of said food). Emily is excited to be a part of Nanchang Project and support the adoptee community and adoptees’ journey of identity expression and connection.
EmmaRose Strybel
Content Creation
she/her
EmmaRose was adopted from Fuzhou, Jiangxi. She grew up in San Diego, CA, and Louisville, KY. She recently found her biological sister through 23andMe, and just graduated college with a B.F.A in Graphic Design. EmmaRose is excited to connect with more adoptees and help others find their roots and birth families by using social media. In her free time, she enjoys ballet, Latin dance, nature walks, traveling, and hanging out with her family, friends, and dog.
Julie Myhal
Web Development
Julie was adopted from Nanning, Guangxi, China, and grew up in New Jersey her whole life. She graduated college with a B.A. in Design and Public Relations and has always had a love for art and creativity. Outside of work Julie enjoys dancing, crocheting, running, and learning new things. Julie is excited to become more involved in the adoptee community and connect with fellow adoptees.
Katie Hurst
Fundraising, Partnerships, Outreach + Social Media
Katie is an adoptive mom with six kids, three from China. They are from Shenzhen, Xinyang, and Nanfeng. Katie is a lifelong learner who has been fundamentally changed by adoption. She is a strong advocate for family preservation, trauma-informed parenting, adoption, and honoring adoptees' voices to reform adoption practices.
Laura Harper
Graphic Design
Laura was adopted from Jiangxi province when she was just over a year old. She grew up in London, Ontario, with her adoptive parents and her sister who was adopted from Fujian province. Laura currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario, where she works as a graphic designer. She hopes to use her skills to connect other adoptees with their biological families, helping gain a sense of closure and fulfillment in connecting with their roots.
Lia Nagge
Adoptee Support + Origins Searches
she/her
Lia was adopted from Nanning, China, and was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, as an only child. In 2021, she graduated with a BA in history and is currently planning on pursuing a graduate degree in genetic counseling. In her free time, Lia enjoys thrift shopping, spending time with friends, and attempting to re-create recipes from the Great British Baking Show. She is excited to join this fantastic team and help connect fellow adoptees to their birth families.
Lily Mercedes
Content Creation
she/her/they/them
Lily is an adoptee from Guangdong province, China. They currently work in higher education with undergraduate students. They are passionate about social justice and have organized demonstrations for survivors of sexual violence, advocated for equitable treatment for other students in housing, and served as a legal observer for several of the Black Lives Matters demonstrations in 2020. In their free time, Lily enjoys fostering service dogs in training! Lily joined Nanchang Project to connect with adoptees and help others learn more about themselves.
LiQian Shoag
Adoptee Support + Translation
she/her
LiQian was adopted from Shaanxi and grew up in Washington D.C. She loves to hang out with friends, try new foods, travel, and draw. She is an undergradudate student studying Asian American studies who is very passionate about advocacy, specifically related to mental health, racial justice, and their intersections. She joined Nanchang Project to connect with other Chinese adoptees and have the space to advocate for as well as learn from the adoptee community.
Liv Roy
Origins Searches
she/her
Liv was adopted from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, and raised in Massachusetts, USA. She is a Development Associate for a public media foundation. Outside of work, Liv enjoys cooking new recipes and engaging in creative projects (such as sewing, crocheting, and painting). She is in the beginning stages of searching for her birth family, and she joined Nanchang Project to help others find their birth families as well.
Mei Li Isaacson
Book Project + Translation + TAP
she/her
Mei Li was adopted from Xiaogan, Hubei. She grew up attending a Mandarin/English bilingual immersion school, and now loves sharing her love of the language through teaching others (including some Chinese adoptees!). She is excited to join the Nanchang Project and use her Mandarin skills to contribute to the adoptee community. Outside of teaching, Mei Li loves dancing Cuban salsa.
Rebecka Rubenbauer
Graphic Design + Web Development
she/her
Rebecka was adopted from Jiangxi province in 1996 and grew up in Sweden, but is now living in the UK where she works as a graphic designer. She started searching for birth family in 2018 and has since then helped out in various adoptee initiatives. Rebecka joined Nanchang Project for their latest trip to China in 2019 as an adoptee ambassador.
Remy Carter
Grants and Research
she/her
Remy was adopted from Tongling, China, and grew up in the Northern Colorado region. She works in project management for a defense contractor and holds a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA. She loves plants, hanging out with her two cats, and traveling to new places. Remy joined Nanchang Project to learn from other adoptees and help build a community.
Rosalie Palin
Graphic Design
she/her
Rosalie was adopted from Duchang, Jiangxi. She grew up in Québec, Canada, and is currently studying in a graphic design program. She loves to draw and learn about genetics since she has another background study in science. Rosalie loves to go on backpacking trips and do activities with her dog Penjing such as paddleboard and camping. She joined Nanchang Project to connect with her biological roots and to help other adoptees to find their families.