Despite the fact that our headquarters are in Cambridge, MA and it’s just about this time of year that the snow and cold and darkness have dampened the moods of those around us, Cultural Care staff members are in great spirits. This is, of course, thanks to the all of the wonderful Au Pair of the Year nominations we’ve received from our host families. The nominations numbered in the hundreds this year, and the stories were amazing.
Thank you so much, Cultural Care host families, for taking time to recognize your au pairs. The 10 au pairs below have been chosen as our top 10 finalists. You will hear more about each of these au pairs on our blog in the coming months, and a final winner will be chosen in the next few weeks, so please stay tuned. Following, you can also find a list of all of our nominees for the Au Pair of the Year award—truly outstanding young women and men.
Celebrating birthdays abroad is fun when you love your host family!
Tanja Schuettler, Cultural Care au pair from Germany
“Tanja has brought the spirit of cultural exchange with her by eagerly learning our family’s traditions—learning to braid challah bread, singing at religious services, attending community dinners—and in turn teaching us how to make homemade German food and sharing her experiences growing up on a farm.”
—The Bobrow family in MD
Natalia brought Colombian soccer gear from her home country for her host kids.
Natalia Gomez Cadavid, Cultural Care au pair from Colombia
“Nati has been more than an amazing au pair, she has become a beloved family member and role model that we want our children to learn from and strive to be like. We have been absolutely blown away by her genuine love for our children, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have her in our family.”
—The Cook family in IL
Hugo and his boy posse love to lounge together.
Hugo Didrik Emanuel Lindberg, Cultural Care au pair from Sweden
“Upon arriving at school, Didrik met our seven year old son, Miles, who was just waving goodbye to his teacher. Miles looked up, grinned, and quickly took Didrik’s hand to lead him to the playground. A friendship and trust was born that day with Miles and our other two sons, Turner (9) and James (4), who had the exact same reaction to Didrik upon meeting him.”
—The Wolf family in NY
Murphy’s host family says she makes the most of every experience possible here in America.
Mofei (Murphy) Zhang, Cultural Care au pair from China
“Murphy safely navigates some of the busiest freeways in the country daily; she helps other au pairs who are struggling; she can rock my baby to sleep better than anyone; and she uses her considerable influence with my 3-year-old to encourage her to make good choices and eat vegetables. Murphy’s just incredible.”
—The Chadeayne family in TX
Elisa and her host kids celebrate Halloween together.
Elisa Rios, Cultural Care au pair from Mexico
“What truly sets Elisa apart is the way she makes our 8-month-old Lily smile, the way she makes our 2-year-old Ellie belly laugh, and even the way she makes our dog Cocoa wag her tail excitedly when she’s around.”
—The Caputo family in CT
Cutting down the family Christmas tree is a tradition Anna was able to share with her family last year.
Anna Kofler, Cultural Care au pair from Italy
“Anna was running the show, and run it she did! Breakfasts, lunch packs, lunches, snacks, dinner preps, diaper changes, bottle feedings, nap giving, block building, hand washing, preschool driving, laundry-doing Ninja. That was Anna. She stepped up to the plate, filled it with a huge helping of “get it done” and “no time for breathing” and handled it. All of it. She was our angel.”
—The Vogel family in VA
Thanksgiving dinner—Ebba fits right in!
Ebba Charlotta Hakansdotter Larsson, Cultural Care au pair from Sweden
“Ebba’s bonds do not stop in our immediate family. She also has connected with the grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins on both sides. She has forged bonds with our closest family friends. There is a gigantic circle of people who have come to view Ebba as an integral part of our family and community in New Jersey, elsewhere in the United States and throughout the world.”
—The Rickles family in NJ
Polish au pair Agnieszka (center with Charlie) has helped her host family tremendously.
Agnieszka Jaworska, Cultural Care au pair from Poland
“The bond I have witnessed between Agnieszka and Charlie is truly breathtaking. I can’t even talk about it without tears coming to my eyes. When Agnieszka walks into a room, Charlie comes alive. What I didn’t expect is that having her in our home would bring me alive as well.”
—Schroeder family in IL
Everyone who meets au pair Izzy falls in love with her.
Isabela Augusta de Souza, Cultural Care au pair from Brazil
“Izzy is not there to make sure my children stay alive, she is there to make sure that they are growing, developing, and happy. Everyone who meets Izzy falls in love with her.”
—The Welch family in MA
A family dinner out with the whole family including Por.
Jutiporn (Por) Suwan, Cultural Care au pair from Thailand
“Por has a natural and enthusiasm for life. She is constantly smiling and excited about new experiences. Whether it’s as mundane as putting our Zoey in a cute outfit, or flying across the country with us to Colorado, Por is eager and engaged and up for anything.”
—The Governski family in MD
Here is a list of all of our 250+ Au Pair of the Year Award nominees. Congratulations to all of you!
Adriana Aparecida Pereira De Lima / Agnieszka Jaworska / Airiin Antson / Aiza Skandary / Alejandra Alzate Valencia / Alejandra Elizabeth Sarmiento Cervera / Alejandra Jara Suarez / Alexandra Mos / Alicia Elisabeth Klerkefors / Althea Danielle Ventura / Alyne Louise Da Silva Tavares / Amanda Beatriz Da Camara Noberto / Amandine Marie Denux / Amy Anne Lines / Ana Carolina Mello Araujo / Ana Cintia Souza De Queiroga Maciel / Anais Geraldine Sabine Auzan / Andrea Maricela Jaramillo Ramirez / Andrea Tellez Galan / Andreza Fonseca Santos / Angelica Ewa Caroline Stahl Thulin / Anja Meisner Petersen / Anja Schlocker / Anna Ivanovna Dymnikova / Anna Kofler / Anna Kossmann / Anna Lisen Maria Larsson / Anna Sophia Patzelt / Annalena Marei Bizer / Annu Kristiina Jylhae / Any Caroline Nascimento Silva / Aura Luz Agredo Calvache / Aylin Yetgin / Aysil Sahin / Belinda Eigner / Bianca Ramos Pacheco / Blida Justine Fredriksdotter Vannestrand / Bobby Van Der Spuy Conradie / Breanna Louise Halton / Camila Nanes Da Silva / Camila Torres / Camilla Novaes Teixeira / Camille Bourgeois / Carolina Cardona Herrera / Carolina Cifuentes Tobon / Carolina Souza Da Silva / Caroline Marquez Gouveia Ribeiro / Caroline Walter / Charlene Marhoffer / Chiara Stolze / Chloe Anne Orrock / Claire Nicole Patricia Monnier / Clara Lucie Maertens / Cynthia De Jesus Vazquez Garcia / Daiane Santos Araujo / Danae Chantal Axelle Daligault / Daniela De Paula Martins / Daniela Stratan / Danielle Cochrane / Daria Fortuniak / Denisse Olea Gaxiola / Dihuan Wu/ Dominic Philip Kirby / Dominika Farska / Dominika Prokopiak / Duentem Saotrong / Ebba Charlotta Hakansdotter Larsson / Elaine Claire Donnelly / Elba Aidee Aguilar Anzures / Elin Anna Maria Ringqvist / Elisa Di Bartolo / Elisa Maricela Rios Martinez / Elodie Coralie Morgane Ozanne / Elodie Lea Madeleine Caro / Emily Jane Bryon / Erik Lennart Walkling / Eunice Palencia Garcia / Fabiola Edith Paz De La Fuente / Fayrouz Ouadah / Felix Leon Malchow / Fengjiao Wang / Gabriela Alejandra Espinosa Aguirre / Ghislaine Gonnot / Giada Tavani / Giulia Melillo / Gleidilene De Souza Rocha / Grazielle Soares Florentin / Hanna Josepha Dasenbrock / Hugo Emanuel Didrik Lindberg / Ida Fredrika Maria Nordqvist / Ida Josefine Lindblom / Irushka Zhane Dhipnarain / Isabela Augusta De Souza / Jagoda Teresa Kucharska / Jana Kerath / Jannette Agle Dominguez Laugier / Jasmine Marie Flynn / Jennifer Christina Liljebjorn / Jennyfer Dafne Valencia Jijada / Joana Eitel / Julie Kocherscheidt / Julien Block / Julieta Noelia Gonzalez / Julieth Carolina Lopez Torres / Julieth Viviana Higuita Bedoya / Julio Olmo Hernan Martin / Julius Marcus Haacke / Justin Einecke / Justyna Natalia Desko / Jutiporn Suwan / Karen Altamirano Luna / Karina Pereira Barros / Karla Maria Rios Ordaz / Karol Estefanny Guerra Gonzalez / Karoline Gruber / Katarzyna Maria Dudzik / Katharina Gelbenegger / Katharina Haas / Kerstin Burgstaller / Kim Mann / Kornudsra Paktheemaskul / Laura Fernanda Quintero Trujillo / Laura Gemmecke / Laura Juliana Cano Ligarreto / Laura Kechaidis / Leinny Xiomara Florez Quintero / Lena Janina Joest / Lena Wagner / Lena-Sophie Alt / Li Ya / Liliana Nichol Camen Nino / Lina Fabiola Gasca Peralta / Lina Marcela Quintana Cordoba / Linda Achermann / Linda Laechoe / Lisa Marie Kremser / Lisa Schroeder / Lisa Susann Friedmann / Liseth Carolina Patarroyo Cardenas / Lizeth Cordova Aviles / Lordna Lorena Vera Hernandez / Lucia Aguilar / Maeva Martin / Magdalena Ratzberger / Malin Amanda De Oliveira Borg / Marcela Karime Aguilar De Leon / Maria Alejandra Osorio Betancur / Maria Camila Ramirez Diaz / Maria Carolina Betancur D’Ambrosio / Maria Dasbach / Maria Del Carmen Calzadillas Valles / Maria Valentina Aduen Ramirez / Mariana Morales Revilla / Mariane Da Silva Freitas / Marie Algier Budet / Marina Solange Jacqueline Normand / Marisol Torres Castro / Marissa Edith Jimenez García / Marlena Sophie Gangl / Marta Panareo / Martje Franziska Kunde / Massimo Leonardi Soares / Megan Margaret Elise Osborne / Melani Tosello / Melina Samira Elmer / Merle Hofbauer / Michael Rapp / Michaella Victoria Hughes / Michelle Zenke / Milena Auvray / Milla Wera Sofia Kallio / Miriam Spicker / Mofei Zhang / Nadine Frey / Natalia Alvarez Sandoval / Natalia Garcia Hernandez / Natalia Gomez Cadavid / Natalie Angel / Nea Roosa Anniina Rapeli / Nele Sophia Bachmann / Netsai Thongchamrat / Nicole Grabler / Nikita Putz / Patricia Carrasco Guerrero / Paula Andrea Valle Bedoya / Paula Michelle Zaldivar Mena / Perla Noryeli Gonzalez Hernandez / Petra Heryanova / Pierre Michel Pascal David / Praweena Mayoeh / Priscillia Celine Christelle Marouani / Rahel Sina Vera Oberholzer / Rapinya Lakhornchan / Rebecca Elizabeth Angela Cook / Rebecca Magdalena Leim / Rebecca Renate Wussler / Regina Leon Gutierrez / Renata Ozuna Manzano / Rita Bbosa / Romana Solovan / Romina Paula Comabella / Ruth Wegmann / Saara Victoria Saha / Sabrina Miles / Saisin Sornsupap / Samanta Zamudio Rocha / Sandra Milena Tovar Potes / Sanna Charlotte Catharina Fredriksson / Sara Isabel Rojas Rodriguez / Sarah Elisabeth Kratzwald / Sarah Huellen / Shona Marie Allen / Shqiponja Hoxha / Silvia De Siqueira Souza / Sina Riemann / Sina Voelker / Sirinan Malumgon / Sirirat Chailae / Soeren Goddiksen Graabaek / Sofia Boulaich / Sofia Hernandez Alvarez / Sofie Andersen / Sonia Baldini / Sophie Frances Sherriff / Stephanie Kleinkarhoff / Stephanie Weerts / Susann Patrice Vialon / Sutassana Sumonrattanakool / Tamara Klampfl / Tanita Du Plessis / Tanja Lena Schuettler / Tatiana Villa Montoya / Taynara De Arruda Pereira / Teneal Sarah Sivalingam / Teresa Schmid / Tereza Arnoldova / Thais Julian Dos Santos / Thi Thuy-Linh Nguyen / Thuy Linh Isabell Nguyen / Tianzi Hao / Tipsuda Chaikavin / Vanessa Lima Buiatte / Vanessa Soring / Verena Andrae / Verena Lieb / Victoria Binder / Viviann Cardenas Rivera / Wioleta Wypustek / Yana Arnholt / Yannick Busch / Yaowaluck Phettakua / Yody Magaly Lopez Ramirez