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Wilson Munsterman, 20, says growing up as an adoptee was not easy.”Fourth grade, I had a girl come up to me and saw, ‘Hey, are those your fake parents?'” Munsterman recalled. Munsterman was 10 months old when he was adopted from China. He says identity struggles impacted his youth.”I was telling myself, if I wasn’t good enough for my birth parents, would I be good enough for anybody?” Munsterman said.He says those feelings stayed with him for years.”Until I realized that I was 17 at the time and most people live to about 70 or 80, and that if that’s what my life was going to be the next 50 years, that’s not something I wanted,” Munsterman said.That is when Munsterman said he reached out for support from his high school counselors and family members. He credits that support to leading him to look at adoption in a different way. “Instead of looking at what I lost, I started looking about what it gave me family, faith, friends, community. If I was able to turn it around, I (thought), I can help the next kid do it,” Munsterman said.He started sharing his story with others on podcasts and social media. He caught people’s attention, receiving the full-ride Grit Scholarship to Creighton University. Continuing on that chapter of success, Munsterman decided to write a book while he was still a teenager.”Marked by Adoption” by Wilson Munsterman was published last March.”Each chapter is a story from my life, kind of what I took away and how the public or how you could handle it,” Munsterman said.The book has been added to Creighton’s library.”Then most recently, last week, I got the notification that it will be added to the Library of Congress,” Munsterman said.Munsterman said he couldn’t do it all without the support of his parents, who are each adoptees themselves.”Family isn’t by blood, it’s by love,” Munsterman said.Marked by Adoption is available on Amazon. Click here.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Wilson Munsterman, 20, says growing up as an adoptee was not easy.
“Fourth grade, I had a girl come up to me and saw, ‘Hey, are those your fake parents?'” Munsterman recalled.
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Munsterman was 10 months old when he was adopted from China. He says identity struggles impacted his youth.
“I was telling myself, if I wasn’t good enough for my birth parents, would I be good enough for anybody?” Munsterman said.
He says those feelings stayed with him for years.
“Until I realized that I was 17 at the time and most people live to about 70 or 80, and that if that’s what my life was going to be the next 50 years, that’s not something I wanted,” Munsterman said.
That is when Munsterman said he reached out for support from his high school counselors and family members. He credits that support to leading him to look at adoption in a different way.
“Instead of looking at what I lost, I started looking about what it gave me family, faith, friends, community. If I was able to turn it around, I (thought), I can help the next kid do it,” Munsterman said.
He started sharing his story with others on podcasts and social media. He caught people’s attention, receiving the full-ride Grit Scholarship to Creighton University.
Continuing on that chapter of success, Munsterman decided to write a book while he was still a teenager.
“Marked by Adoption” by Wilson Munsterman was published last March.
“Each chapter is a story from my life, kind of what I took away and how the public or how you could handle it,” Munsterman said.
The book has been added to Creighton’s library.
“Then most recently, last week, I got the notification that it will be added to the Library of Congress,” Munsterman said.
Munsterman said he couldn’t do it all without the support of his parents, who are each adoptees themselves.
“Family isn’t by blood, it’s by love,” Munsterman said.
Marked by Adoption is available on Amazon. Click here.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
