Former au pair from Austria, Irina, pursues her American Dream!

Former Austrian au pair Irina’s time as an au pair may have come to an end, but her American adventure continues! She recently completed two years on the Au Pair in America  program, living with a host family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Earlier this spring, Irina received the wonderful news that she had been awarded a generous scholarship to attend Hollins University in Virginia this fall. It was a dream come true for this dedicated young woman, who is eager to pursue her undergraduate, and perhaps postgraduate, education in the U.S.

Growing up in a small town in Austria, Irina dreamed of living in a big American city. She worked hard to make her dream a reality, eventually coming to the U.S. through the Au Pair in America program. As an au pair, Irina enrolled at Durham Tech, her local community college, to fulfill the educational requirement of the program. She took courses to improve her English skills, and as she gained confidence in her English-speaking abilities, she began to get involved in the campus community.

According to an article featuring Irina’s story on the Durham Tech website, Irina “serve[d] as the president of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, an active volunteer with the Durham Tech Center for College and Community Service, and the 2018-19 Dean’s Award recipient, and has held a 4.0 GPA since she enrolled.”

Focused on achieving her educational goals, Irina is currently back in Austria saving up to finish her Associate of Arts degree at Durham Tech this summer before matriculating at Hollins in the fall. She plans to major in Communications Studies with a minor in Social Justice. After that, she has her sights set on earning a master’s degree from Columbia University.

We at Au Pair in America wish Irina all the best in her studies and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this passionate, dedicated former au pair!

Is your family ready to welcome an international au pair like Irina into your home to provide flexible, dependable child care? Learn more about the Au Pair in America program!