Adapted

Korean adoptee SunAh Marie Laybourn, 38, was adopted to the state of Tennessee in the US at the age of four months from Korea. After her adoptive mother died when SunAh was young and navigating environments where she was different from the white or Black students at her schools, she buried her feelings as a way to cope. Now an educator, motivational speaker and coach and podcaster, the high achiever has had much professional success. Lately, Laybourn has focused on a personal identity transformation that has culminated in changing her name to reflect her Korean roots.