Meet the AMS 2025–2026 Mentor Team
Meet Angela
Meet Barb
Meet Jenny
Each year, we welcome dedicated mentors who bring their full selves to this work. This is our 2025–2026 Mentor Team. We are so proud to introduce this inspiring group of mentors to AMS. Read their bios below.
Angela
Angela (she/her) is a transracial adoptee, the author of “You Should Be Grateful”: Stories of Race, Identity and Transracial Adoption, the host of the podcast The Adoptee Next Door and the subject of the documentary CLOSURE. Angela lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Bryan and their cat "Grandma Pearl." When she's not working to amplify adoptee voices, you can find her at the spa, on the basketball court or hostessing at Jazz Alley. She drinks a London Fog nearly every single day, and is currently debating the importance of kicking this sugary (but, oh-so-delicious) habit.
Jenny Nau
Jenny (she/her) is a Seattle area educator with over a decade of experience as a secondary public school teacher, and is currently working in higher ed. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her partner, daughter, and their dog, Dyna. She is an avid gamer, and loves to crochet, write, and dance.
Jenny entered reunion with her biological family when she was 32-years-old and knows firsthand the solace that adoptee spaces can bring when navigating the joys and challenges of this phase of life. As a mentor, she seeks to provide supportive, validating spaces for adoptees to explore all of the complexity of adoption in community with one another. She believes that while there are many nuances to our unique stories, our collective experiences are a powerful tool to facilitate belonging, authenticity, and healing.
Barb Henderson
Barb (she/her) is a survivor of domestic, same race, baby-scoop era adoption & forced relinquishment of her firstborn. She is a mother to four, living in Colorado with her partner, and has experience navigating reunion with first family members.
Professionally, Barb has made a career of care work in customer service, administration, and elder & dementia support. She finds strength in family, friends, faith (that doesn't demand forgiveness), outdoor activities, and creative practices as healing modalities and means of connection. As a mentor, Barb understands that adoption is a lifelong journey. She looks forward to supporting mentees in exploring their experiences, developing their voice, and holding the complexity of each individual's story. Her vision for mentorship is to provide a space where every mentee knows they're not alone.