A Forgotten Moment, Remembered
I was recently reminded of an early experience where I felt I belonged—where I was known and seen. I was a 12-year-old indigenous foreigner. Born in Canada, raised in the US, born to Ghanaian parents.
Honestly, I have no recollection of this exchange. It resurfaced during a conversation with my dad as we talked about my soul’s work, the upcoming inaugural TransAtlantic Genealogy Summit. What may have existed in the recesses of my memory surfaced from his. He remembered the moment so vividly:
We were in Elmina, Ghana—my father’s hometown. While he crossed the street to buy sodas, an older woman approached me and asked my name. I told her: Adwoa Ulzen. She paused, looked me over, and said, “Yes. I can see that. You are an Ulzen.” Then she pointed to my great-grandfather’s house—exactly where we were headed.
When my dad came back with the cool drinks, I couldn’t wait to tell him: “Dad, they know me here.”
I don’t remember saying it. But when he told me the story, I got chills. Because that moment—unremembered, yet clearly deeply felt—is the reason I do this work. Everyone should be able to experience that.
spanDNA: A Different Kind of Search
There are many companies out there offering a range of ancestry tools. Some will proudly tell you what “tribe” you come from. Others will connect us to people with whom we share genetic material. (I call them cousins—my husband jokingly calls them strangers.)
These tools can be helpful. But chances are, your experience of identity is riddled with fractures. That’s where spanDNA PBC comes in. Joining the spanDNA Family gives you more than data. You get support. I walk with you as we figure out what to do with the information—how to make it meaningful, actionable, and real. I help yo connect your results to living links: places, people, culture, stories. The small things that help us feel known. This is more than history—this is about what we can do in the present and taking it into the future.
The Spiritual Thread We Carry
Beyond genes and geography, there’s the spiritual identity linking it all. A soul core that lived in your ancestors.
A connection most of us have forgotten—but it’s NOT lost. That soul memory is part of our inheritance. Even if we can’t see it, it’s there. Humanity is so much more than genetic code. We’re stories, community, souls. No one, me included, can promise specific answers—but I’m here to accompany receptive souls. With My Black Genealogist, and spanDNA, you won’t be alone.
Find your people. Know your story. Let spanDNA bring you home.
The Inaugural TransAtlantic Genealogy Summit 
Join Adwoa and expert panelists for SpanDNA Families Inaugural TransAtlantic Genealogy Summit (TAGS) : Portals of Possibilities May 23-25 at The LOLA.
This summit is a unique gathering centered around the specific ancestral connections identified through these two Ghanaian families and their DNA cousins found through the seed of 25 years of research culminating in the founding and development of the Elmina-Java Museum, spanDNA PBC, and spanDNA Families.
Interested in joining? Learn MORE
Learn more about Adwoa and spanDNA on her website and YouTube
About The Author:
Adwoa Ulzen Setrakian is the owner and founder of spanDNA (a public benefit corporation) and Program Director for the Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation‘s a [501(c)(3)] spanDNA Families Diaspora Programs. Adwoa believes “the betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds…” and strives to bring coherence to service, occupation, family, and wellness for herself and others.
Adwoa is a proud member of The LOLA community and a member of the 2024 Legacy Leadership Cohort
