Welcome! Meet:

Andrew + Raquel

Teacher / Project Manager

Minnesota

Caucasian / Multi-Ethnic

Christian

All About Andrew & Raquel
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Andrew & Raquel

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us! We are honored and grateful for your consideration to make an adoption plan that includes us. We decided to adopt early in our relationship, and have planned, hoped, and prayed for you and for your child since that moment.

Our hope is to show a glimpse of who we are, complete with all of the quirks, passions, and joys that make up our family. We are grateful to you and look forward to the chance to meet you soon.

Why Adoption?

Andrew has 3 adopted uncles and aunts, so adoption has always been a close and normal part of his life. Raquel has never wanted to be pregnant but has always wanted to have a family. Because of this, adoption has always been a part of our dreams and plans for our family, a dream that came true when we adopted our daughter Serenity.

Family & Home

We live in a quiet, working-class neighborhood in North Minneapolis with our dog Mindy in a comfortable 4-bedroom house. Our neighborhood is highly walkable, with parks, bike trails, pools, and community centers close by. We have close friends and a strong church community in the neighborhood and have loved living here for the past 5 years. Andrew’s family lives in nearby Richfield, and we are able to visit them often. Raquel’s family lives in Florida and the Dominican Republic, and while they are not as close by, we are able to visit them multiple times a year as well.

How others describe me

Andrew grew up in Richfield Minnesota as the oldest of 5 siblings. He is a proud Minnesotan, a state he is happy to call home after living in Detroit Michigan for 6 years. He loves his work as a teacher. He expects the very best from his students and cares for them dearly. His passion for students is only matched by his fierce loyalty to our friends and family. He is kind, driven, and funny. He loves to tell stories and considers it his personal responsibility to take Raquel into nature any chance he gets.

Raquel grew up in the Dominican Republic and moved to Minnesota with her family of 5 when she was 15. She adapted quickly to life as an American, and quickly mastered English along with the ins and outs of American culture. While her career involves using her organizational gifts in managing digital websites, Raquel's true gift is in her ability to make kids, friends, and family feel welcome. She is warm, intentional, and caring. She has a high attention to detail and has the loudest laugh in the room.

How We Met

We met while working together at the same school out of college. Andrew was a substitute teacher, and Raquel was the front desk office administrator. Whenever Andrew needed to translate something into Spanish, he would bring it to the front desk to have Raquel check his work. We started dating within 2 months, and were married within two years!

Advice to Future Child

We cannot give you advice for every possible situation, as the world we live in is a bit hectic. All we can do is equip you with the skills, experiences, and values you will need to navigate towards what you can best discern to be right. You will make mistakes, learn from them. You will have success, don’t let it go to your head. In everything you do, remember who you are and who you are. You are a Pearce. We work hard, we love people, we honor God, and we have more fun than everyone else. Go get ‘em.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We currently have an open adoption with Serenity’s birth mother. It is a gift for Serenity to know who her mother is, and we are grateful for the relationship. We have no hesitancy on a significant level of openness for our second child.

Favorites

Andrew

Favorite Movie: Gladiator
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Going over to my parents' for Friday Night Pizza
Hobbies/Interests: biking, running, kayaking, going to Minnesota sports events
Dream Vacation: Macchu Picchu, Peru
If I Could Choose a Superpower: omni-lingual

Raquel

Favorite Movie: Princess Mononoke
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: baking cakes from scratch for birthday parties
Hobbies/Interests: Anime, baking, party throwing, dancing
Dream Vacation: The Louvre, Paris
If I Could Choose a Superpower: invisibility