Our ambassadors passionately guide the organization forward.
Adam Esparza
2025 Ambassador
Adam Esparza is a creative professional rooted in the visual arts and the written word. He embraces life’s mysteries—from ancient relics and museums to the natural rhythms of the present moment. A native New Yorker who finds peace in nature, Adam approaches relationships with thoughtfulness and depth. Through his art and advocacy, he encourages others to recognize that the tools for healing and fulfillment are already within them.
Read Adam’s story →My Aha! Moment
Lisa Peña Humes
2025 Ambassador
Lisa Peña Humes is a recently retired NYC public school teacher who lives in Queens with her family. A wife, mother, and grandmother, Lisa was adopted from foster care and reunited with her first family in the early ’90s. She is passionate about storytelling, community outreach, and supporting adoptive and foster families as they build more empathetic and informed relationships. Lisa believes that no two adoption journeys are alike—and that every story deserves to be heard.
Read Lisa’s story →From Alma to The Adoptee Lounge
Ellen Reeve
2025 Ambassador
Ellen Reeve is a retired educator, adoptee, adoptive parent, and adoption scholar. She recently earned her Ph.D. in Education from Lesley University, where she focused on the power of pre-adoptive artifacts—photos, documents, letters, and personal heirlooms—to illuminate adoptee identity. Ellen lives in Colorado and enjoys pickleball, swimming, travel, and time with her dogs. Her work is a moving testament to how artifacts can speak volumes—and how stories endure.
Read Ellen’s story →My Uncle’s a Sailor: A Journey of Reclaiming Birth and Belonging
Peace Kinsella
2024 Ambassador
Peace (she/her) is an international, transracial adoptee from Uganda, is a student at Howard University and a proud Denver native. As a mentee and panelist with AMS, she has consistently brought honesty and thoughtfulness to our community spaces. Passionate about pursuing a future in foster care and adoption services, Peace is committed to ensuring that adoptees are not just seen, but deeply validated. She brings an open heart and a powerful voice to every table she joins.
Read Peace’s story → I Hate Paper Mâché
Sudha Hurley-Heil
2024 Ambassador
Sudha Hurley-Heil (she/ her) is a student at Syracuse University from Montclair, NJ. She brings a unique perspective as a transracial and transnational adoptee from Nepal. She has been actively involved with the Adoptee Mentoring Society, helping to interview and prepare our 2024 mentor cohort, and is now excited to be an ambassador! Sudha is driven by her passion for fostering belonging among adoptees, and her commitment to community-building stems from personal experience, fueling her dedication to creating inclusive spaces. With a genuine desire to empower others, she wants to help bring authenticity to this organization by contributing meaningfully to amplify adoptee voices and experiences.
Read Sudha’s story → Did He Really Just Ask How Much I Cost?
Tyette Manna
2024 Ambassador
Tyette (she/her) is a Human Development major at Howard University, originally from the suburbs of Massachusetts. A passionate learner and leader, Tyette brings wisdom beyond her years as she advocates for safe and affirming spaces for transracial adoptees. Her work with AMS is grounded in authenticity and community-building—and she’s just getting started.
Read Tyette’s story → Love Over Blood