Woman decides to change her career after using an AncestryDNA test
As a native New Yorker, 27-year-old Bri Rogers was intrigued to discover more about her ancestry and how her family made its way to the Big Apple.
New York City is a multicultural metropolis with a population that speaks more than 200 languages, so Ms Rogers knew that she could potentially find out lots of interesting facts by delving into her family’s past.
“I’ve always been curious about my roots, knowing that my ancestors came from many different places to seek freedom and opportunities here,” she told The Independent.
With a father from Brooklyn and a mother born in Puerto Rico, Ms Rogers was positive that results from an AncestryDNA test would uncover familial connections with Ireland and Spain.
However, she wasn’t expecting the diverse array of results that she received.
Taking an AncestryDNA test involves sending off a sample of your saliva to be analysed.
AncestryDNA uses the sample to estimate your biological connection with more than 350 regions from around the world.
After six to eight weeks your detailed AncestryDNA results will then become available in your profile on the site.
Ms Rogers' results unveiled that she was indeed part-Irish, with 26 per cent of her DNA makeup attributed to that area, in addition to various parts of Europe.
However, her European Jewish and Native American background took her largely by surprise.
Ms Rogers was informed that she was eight per cent European Jewish and seven per cent Native American, two ethnicities that she hadn’t expected in the slightest.
This newfound knowledge of her heritage inspired her to travel the world, venturing to Puerto Rico, Ireland, Poland and France.
“My ancestry results is the compass to my ancestral past,” she said.
“After taking this test, I felt a closer connection with myself and my family, and most importantly the ancestors who faced hardships and overcame obstacles in their lives.
“The feeling of connecting and belonging is what makes these experiences exciting, and when you know you have an ancestral connection to a certain place, it makes the journey even more meaningful.”
Stumbling upon her Jewish connection has inspired Ms Rogers to venture to Lithuania this summer, where she has a distant cousin waiting to meet her for the very first time.
After an individual has taken an AncestryDNA test, the company will then search across its network of AncestryDNA members to determine whether anyone else around the world shares your DNA and could turn out to be a relative that you had no idea existed.
Ms Rogers has felt so inspired by her ancestry journey that she's decided to embark on a fascinating career path.
“The discoveries that I’ve made on my ancestry journey have fuelled my passion to become a professional genealogist,” she said.
“I want to be able to share this exciting feeling with others. Recently, I helped a client make a family tree and use their DNA results to find a half-sibling and unknown family in England.”
Ms Rogers is currently studying for a graduate degree in history at Harvard University and has plans to complete a certificate in genealogical studies this summer at Boston University.
Her experiences travelling abroad have had a profound impact on her life.
“I have learned so much travelling to these countries and meeting new people, exploring historical sites, trying staple foods and learning new languages," she said.
She had a particularly special moment while in Florence, as she became aware of her Italian heritage while enjoying an espresso and pastry for breakfast.
“These experiences offered me a chance to learn more about my ancestral past and the importance of preserving my family history in writing for generations to come," she stated.
The adventure hasn’t finished quite yet, as Ms Rogers has plans to visit Portugal, Spain and Greece in the near future.
“The possibilities are endless,” she said.
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