Au Pair in America Explorers for February

Starting in February we have asked Community Counselors to identify au pairs from their cluster as Au Pair in America Explorers.

For February we would like to highlight the following au pairs:

Clara T. from Germany in Jill Smith’s New Jersey cluster

Clara has applied to volunteer at a preschool and a hospice one or twice a week. She attends the monthly cluster activities.  She is planning on attending the au pair webinars and is constantly discovering new places. Last week she went to Atlantic City. For the Girl Scout’s World Thinking Day Clara presented about Germany to a younger scout troop.

Johanna J. from Germany in Marianne Grandin’s Connecticut cluster

Johanna has been to every cluster meeting since she arrived in November. She is taking Developmental Psychology at Fairfield University and also a Borough of Manhattan Community College class learning about Niagara Falls and then her class will go there for a weekend. Johanna researched and found a ballet school that she attends with another au pair, so that she does not have to give up her passion while she is in the US. She entered in to the Valentine’s Day contest and taught one of her host children to say I love you in German, which he drew on half of a heart, coloring the German flag on the other half. In this picture she is exploring Seattle!

Tanielle J. from South Africa Hiba Zananiri’s California cluster

She is volunteering at Franklin Elementary School where she helps with recess, has playground duty, and has started assisting the teachers with assessments.   She has attended every cluster meeting since arriving to her Host Family. Tanielle is taking the Weekend Classes and is continually discovering new places in the Bay Area of California and Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Paula G. from Germany in Amber French’s Connecticut cluster

Paula has a great attitude and is very involved! She regularly attends the monthly cluster meetings, has sit in on a webinar, is attending school, and offers to help/volunteer when I ask for help for an event. Paula has traveled to Boston, MA and Portland, ME since she’s arrived here in the states and looks forward to exploring more areas throughout her stay.

Punnapa L. from Thailand in Sandee Plescia’s Illinois cluster

As part of her UCLA course requirements Punnapa has presented about her country in the classroom and volunteered in a law office.  She has discovered many new places including Chicago, Yosemite and she had a chance to go skiing in Wisconsin.