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Adler graduate reflects on her thesis journey, exploring the experiences of Black transracial adoptees

Stories | 02.04.25

For as long as she can remember, Favour Onwuka was always fascinated with what drives people’s thoughts and emotions.

“Since I was a kid, I wanted to know why people felt the way they do,” she said.

It’s one of the reasons why she decided to pursue a career as a clinical counsellor, focusing primarily on working with children. This goal led her to Adler University — and in 2024, she earned her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth.

“I’m passionate about working with kids. When I was 10, I started a babysitter’s club,” Onwuka recalled. “I have always really enjoyed working with people who are young enough that they’re not fully set in their ways — and counselling psychology felt natural and made sense.”

In the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth program, students complete a thesis. A non-thesis option is also available in the Master of Counselling: School and Youth program.

“I chose the thesis track to keep the door open for further schooling, just in case I decide to pursue a doctorate in the future,” she said. “I was worried about the workload, but I have to say, it is one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of in my academic journey.”

In the summer of 2023, Onwuka began her thesis, “Unheard Voices: Black Transracial Adoptees in Canada and Microaggressions. And in the fall of 2024, she successfully defended it in front of her peers and professors, along with friends and family who joined virtually.

The research explores the experiences of Black children who are adopted by white parents. Through interviews, the thesis examines how these adoptees — now adults — encountered more subtle forms of discrimination and how it affected their sense of identity and well-being.

“I’m hopeful the research helps counsellors, communities, and policymakers better support these children — and for those who are now adults, support their well-being and mental health,” she said.

Today, Onwuka is reflecting on her accomplishment, sharing what surprised her, what she enjoyed most, and her advice or lessons learned to help other students navigate the thesis journey.

How did you decide on your thesis topic?

I’ve always wanted to highlight stories of people who don’t typically get their stories told in the media. I happen to have friends who are transracial adoptees, including my best friend, who is multiracial. I feel that when you walk with someone through the years, you notice all these things that may seem different to you. For example, something that really stuck with me is the expectation of gratitude and that adoptees are asked to feel grateful for being adopted.

When I heard that years ago, I just remember thinking, that doesn’t seem right. It’s not the baby’s or child’s fault. These decisions were made by others outside their control. When it came time to choosing my thesis topic, I really wanted to delve into that more.

What did you find most challenging about the thesis process and how did you address it?

I found the first step of choosing my topic the most challenging or at least most time consuming. I had two ideas, exploring the experiences of Black adoptees and those of child actors. I have a background as an actor, so that was of interest to me. However, the second option would have added an extra layer of challenge because working with minors and getting consent from their parents would have been tricky in the program’s timespan.

When I finally did choose to focus on Black adoptees, there was still work to further refine the topic. I had to review literature to see what has been written about Black transracial adoptees to find a gap. What hasn’t been talked about yet? That’s how I was able to determine my specific focus on microaggressions Black transracial adoptees experienced.

What did you enjoy most about working on your thesis?

Hands down, it was sitting down and talking with my three participants. I had the privilege of hearing their stories, which were always fascinating, wise, and enlightening.

Numbers and statistics aren’t exactly my jam, so I knew I was always going to do qualitative research, as opposed to quantitative. At first, I was hesitant to call myself a researcher, but I’ve come to realize that research takes many forms — including creating space for people to share their experiences. I loved that part.

What surprised you most from your thesis?

I hadn’t anticipated just how many similar themes came up. By using interpretative phenomenological research — a complex term for the idea of elevating the voices of the participants and dim my own — my goal was to lift the voices of the Black transracial adoptees I was interviewing. I didn’t expect to find such a clear thread amongst their experiences, the most significant being that all were raised by white parents who really believed in colorblind parenting, which is the idea that you don’t see race and we’re all the same. Each adoptee expressed how loved they felt by their families, but as they grew older — particularly their teenage years — the colorblind parenting approach came into play and they began to feel different, confused, and sometimes, not seen.

What do you hope readers take away from your research?

I know I picked a very niche topic, but I hope it brings more awareness. People aren’t walking around thinking about Black transracial adoptees in Canada. When I did my final defense, I invited many of my family members from all over the world, including England, the U.S., and Nigeria. After, many of them expressed how much it opened their eyes about the experience of adoptees. In different parts of the world, including Nigeria, adoption is still very hush-hush. There’s an assumption that when a baby is adopted, that child will not be affected, but we now understand that trauma lives in the body and being removed or separated from your first caregiver is traumatic.

From a policy perspective, I hope this encourages adoption agencies in Canada to provide more parenting classes or resources, especially for white adoptive parents. While their love for their children may be unquestionable, there are times when they simply don’t know how to fully support them.

And as a practitioner, this will help me — and hopefully others — become more attuned to the needs of clients who are adopted or have similar experiences.

I’d love to try publishing this thesis in an adoption-related journal to get more eyeballs on it.

For other master’s students who may be starting or are underway in their thesis journey, do you have any advice?

During my program, there was a lot to learn and experience. The thesis track takes a lot of dedication because while you’re researching and writing, you are still attending classes and conducting your practicum.

However, completing my thesis was also very rewarding. There will be times when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing or things feel difficult, but in the end, you’ll have this beautiful piece of work that no one can take away from you.

I am grateful for my supervisor and second reader. I am also incredibly grateful for my family and friends who supported me through the emotional lows of this journey and believed in me. Also, I really appreciated Amin Ghorbaniasad, one of Adler’s writing consultant who was so helpful in the final stages of my thesis editing.

Anything else you’d like to add about your experience?

My thesis journey has been really transformative, both professionally and personally. It really deepened my understanding of identity and resilience, it strengthened my commitment to advocacy and what it looks like, and it helped better understand intersectionality. I hope to bring all, along with others I learned during my time at Adler, into my counselling practice, Nurtured w/ Favour, which offers child and family therapy services.

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