Welcome to Westchester Connections!

I am Maralyn Steeg, a senior community counselor for Au Pair in America, serving host families and au pairs in White Plains, Valhalla, Elmsford, West Harrison, Rye Brook and Rye, NY. When I joined APIA in 2003, another counselor told me that “this is the best job for the rest of your life.” How right she was! My life is continually enriched by the many lovely young women who come to the United States from countries around the world to provide child care, expand their educational horizons and experience life in another culture, and the host families who, embracing the spirit of cultural exchange, welcome their au pairs into their homes and hearts.

Before becoming a community counselor, I worked as a writer and consultant to nonprofit health and childcare organizations in the fields of public relations, fund raising and graphic design.

I’m a life-long New Yorker with the exception of two years, when my husband, Frank, served as a dentist in the U.S. Army, and we had the wonderful opportunity to live in Kaiserslautern, Germany. During that time, we experienced the ups and downs of living in a different culture and we put 50,000 miles on our car exploring Europe. As a result, we became more worldly-wise and developed a wanderlust that has never waned. Over the years, we’ve continued to travel and have visited many of the countries our au pairs call home

Frank and I have two grown children. Our son and daughter-in-law have blessed us with twins, whom we adore and get to see often since they live nearby. Our daughter lives and works in Manhattan; she introduced our family to AIFS (the American Institute for Foreign Study, APIA’s parent organization) when she participated in their terrific educational exchange programs while in high school and college.

One of the great benefits of a counselor’s job is its flexibility which makes it possible to incorporate exercise (pilates and hiking are particular favorites) and continuing education into a busy schedule. Over the years, I’ve taken diverse studio art classes and, in the process, have become a skilled amateur photographer. For more than 15 years, I’ve been studying Oriental brush painting with master teachers from China, learning the techniques and possibilities of this unique medium. Free evenings and weekends often find us at the theater, dining out or entertaining friends and family at home. No matter how hectic the day, however, it always ends with a cup of tea and a good book!