The Anna Jinja Show
The Anna Jinja show focuses on the stories, issues, and questions connected to adoption and foster care experiences.
The host is an international adoptee with biological roots in Korea and adopted roots in the United States. As you can imagine, her journey and experiences as a transracial adoptee are multifaceted. Her experiences have been with the pain of discrimination and rejection as well as the joys of self-discovery and learning to embrace all aspects of her identity.
Along the way, she has discovered that she is not alone. We’re all – in some ways – adopted into or out of homes, cultures, communities, and relationships as we grow and evolve. This show illuminates the theme of adoption, in all ways, in our lives. And how those experiences create who we are and who we are yet to be.
Her hope is that through engaging with the guests and creative content, we are welcomed home in this world, cradled in the belief that we belong, that we are worthy, and that we are loved.
So stay tuned, and you may discover your own adoption story.
The Anna Jinja Show
Stephanie Russell & Jillian Kay
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What does it look like to offer sturdiness to someone navigating one of life's most complex systems?
That's the question at the heart of Episode 2 of The Anna Jinja Show's Athens County Children Services Season — and Stephanie Russell answers it beautifully.
Stephanie is an independently licensed clinical mental health counselor (LPCC) and Treatment Foster Care Coordinator with the Southeastern Treatment Foster Care Network. A lifelong Athens County resident, she has built her career championing individuals and families in rural Appalachia through the intersecting challenges of mental health, child welfare, and substance dependence.
What sets Stephanie apart is her philosophy: that to serve others well, you must first fuel yourself — through solitude, self-reflection, and yes, occasionally running to the hills of Appalachia to recharge.
Alongside Stephanie, we hear from Jillian Kay, an Ohio University music production student and Athens singer-songwriter whose original song "Sometimes Blues" speaks directly to the courage it takes to face difficult emotions with honesty and grace.
This conversation is for anyone who works in service of others — and who sometimes wonders how to keep going. Stephanie and Jillian show us the way.