Last year Adam Serfass, one of the AFS maintenance staff had a chance encounter with his birth-mother, who he had never met before. Serfass is known at AFS for his hilarious sense of humor and infectious smile; he has a knack for making people feel at ease. He lights up the room, and he’s always ready with a joke or a kind word for everyone he meets, from the students to the teachers and even the parents in the car line. Serfass’s ability to uplift others and maintain such a positive outlook, even on the busiest days, has cemented him as a huge figure in our community. But how did meeting with his mother for the first time in 54 years change his outlook on life?
Is there a turning point in your life that caused you to look at life through such a positive lens?
I was born in British Columbia. I was adopted and for 54 years I just assumed that my parents didn’t want me at all. I finally got enough guts to ask to go on ancestry.com. I looked it up and I found my mom and I talked with another relative of mine. It was Friday when they found her and by Monday, we were talking with each other.
What was it like talking to your mom for the first time after 54 years?
I didn’t want to offend anyone. I just used the excuse of medical history as an excuse to talk with her. Then she told me that ever since I was three days old, she’d been looking for me. We finally found each other and it was just absolutely amazing. I’ve had a lot of different journeys up and down personally, but that was the biggest one that I’ve gone through. So, because of that, I’m a lot more positive than I kind of ever was before because now that hole that was empty for a long time is finally filled, because we talk every week now.
Did you find any family other than your mother?
I found I have three more brothers and sisters and a plethora of people who are related to me. When I went back to British Columbia last year, they had a big party in our clan. But in my clan, so many people have been missing or died or left that for someone to come into the clan, it’s a big deal, which I had no idea about. I’m still learning to this day about my clans, beliefs and sorts. And they had people—and I’m not kidding you—as full as the Muller Auditorium I was related to. Before that, I had my adopted parents, and I had maybe eight to ten people who were related to me. So for this to come up, it’s so special.
Do any of your relatives live here or are they in British Columbia?
I have a cousin that lives in Iowa and I have a couple who live in Seattle, but the majority of them all still live in Canada. There’s a lot of benefits that you get as far as being indigenous up there, not a lot, but there are some benefits. So for them, to stay up there is kind of ideal. And when we went there, it was just like, it was so traumatic—in a positive way, though—for me to be, to be in British Columbia and, to be there, it was just amazing. It was incredible.
Gen • Nov 5, 2024 at 8:02 am
I read about Adam Serfass in one of the Blue and White features. When I arrive at school every morning I see Adam guiding everyone through the car line for a smooth and easy drop-off. As I pass by him I wave and always receive a wave back along with a big infectious smile. While I have always appreciated his work and help for the school, I have never had the time to know him personally. This article taught me much about Adam and motivated me to get to know him better. I went into this article with an open mind, so nothing surprised, but learning more about h was good. This is also a reminder to be appreciative of the little things and while Adam may not be a teacher, he is a key component to making our school better.