Au pair of the year – Winner
IAPA Congratulates Georgina Pinson
Winner of the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award 2017
French au pair Georgina Pinson (19) was presented with the IAPA Au Pair of the Year 2017 Award during our Opening reception held at the Künstlerhaus in Munich during the Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference (WETM-IAC) 2017.
An international jury of five people had selected her from 50 nominations.
Georgina was placed by receiving agency Lopair from China. Her sending gency had been Solution Au Pair & + from France. Her Chinese host family Zhao from Beijing – where she had lived for 6 months – had nominated her for the award.
During her passionate and moving speech she proved what an exceptional person she is and how she had grown from the once-in-a-lifetime au pair experience in China.
The audience was thrilled with her speech and when Georgina was presented with the award and a short greeting video from
her ” little sister” in China no one – including the happy winner – could stop their tears.
“Everyday was different and exciting and had its challenges, but everyday was new opportunity to teach and be taught something incredible or something completely normal. China is home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Zhao family (and there’s the Great Wall too!). I know today that I am a much better person than before I became an Au Pair and for that I am so grateful.
– Georgina Pinson
Well done Georgina! The whole au pair community is proud of you and we wish you only the best for your future!
Read Georgina´s au pair of the year essay
Runners up 2017
Lee-Ann Gower (21), South Africa
Host country: Netherlands
Sending agency: House o Orange South Africa
Receiving agency: House o Orange Au Pairs NL
“During my year, I spent time building beautiful bonds, making new friends and discovering other cultures and peoples. This has given me new perspectives, confidence and determination to continue along this path of discovery. I am grateful for being given this opportunity.”
-Lee- Ann
Read more about Lee-Ann here
Laura Garcia Garcia (27), Spain
Host Country : USA
Sending agency: Au Pair in Spain Culture and Friends, Spain
Receiving agency: Au Pair International, USA
“Being an au pair is a cultural immersion. It means experiencing the politics, the food, religions, and the racial diversity. This has made me grow up, be more appreciative and tolerant about people, I’ve learnt how to live and how to see life from a different perspective, out of my comfort zone.”
– Laura
Read more about Laura here
Previous winners
2016 – Robert Isemer, Germany
2015 – Lena Halberstadt, Germany
2014 – Irene Buijing, Netherlands
2013 – Femke Meyer, Germany
2012 – Birte Klusmann, Germany
2011 – Luna Vazquez de la Rosa, Spain
2010 – Mayumi Yano, Japan
2009 – Ricardo Silva de Araujo, Brazil
2008 – Linda Falter, Germany
2007 – Emilie Terryn, France
2006 – Alexandru Valentin Darziu, Romania
2005 – Mariela Poveda, Ecuador
2004 – Lenuta Tedora, Romania