The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore how lived experiences affect ethnic identity development of transracial Korean American adoptees raised by White parents with the intent of informing higher education practice. Participants included 12 recently college-graduated transracial Korean American adoptees who were raised in the Midwest, rural south, and on the west coast. A theoretical model that surfaced from data collection is presented, demonstrating the complexity of transracial Korean adoptee identity. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)