In June 1995, Jenny came from Sweden to be an au pair for a family in a western suburb of Chicago. In an interesting turn of events, she now lives in the same area and is a host mom to another Swedish au pair. Remarkably, the Community Counselor that is now helping Jenny as a host mom is the very same Counselor that helped her more than twenty years ago, when she first came to the U.S. with Au Pair in America.
After life events put Jenny in a position to have an au pair of her own, she signed up with Au Pair in America right away. When Sandee called to introduce herself as the Community Counselor, she didn’t know it was Jenny, because her last name was different since being married. As soon as Jenny talked to her and realized it was Sandee, she introduced herself, and Sandee remembered her right away.
Back when Jenny was an au pair, she grew close to Sandee and was friends with her nanny at the time. Sandee often welcomed au pairs into her home for cluster meetings, and Jenny got to know her very well. After 21 years, Jenny was pleasantly surprised that she was still helping au pairs and host families in their cluster.
Sandee, Au Pair in America Community Counselor, in 1995
Counselors like Sandee are such an important part of what makes Au Pair in America the most reliable organization for au pairs and host families. Our Community Counselors are quite simply the best in the business. They have been front and center helping thousands of people through life’s highs and lows, providing friendship and guidance to help au pairs and families find the resources and support they need, to get the most out of the au pair experience.
As we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2016, this story is a perfect platform to acknowledge our Counselors for making au pair exchange possible. A lot of factors go into our success, but a big part of it boils down to a network of good people like Sandee working together in the spirit of friendship, family and international understanding. Thank you to each and every one of our Community Counselors for being the best at what you do!
A special thank you to Sandee, for your years of dedicated service to our host families and the wonderful au pairs that participate with us in the Chicago area — and thanks to Jenny for telling us about your happy reunion!
Readers, stay tuned to Kids Notes in the next few days to learn more about Jenny’s very special journey. You won’t want to miss it!
