Third Place

My name is Cara Stathas. Don’t look any further! Our au pair, Michelle Borruso, is the au pair of the year! We first met Michelle via Skype in December of 2015, and we knew right then and there that she was the perfect fit for our family. Michelle and I emailed almost every single day for 6 months until she arrived getting to know one another. We both talked about how it was one of our favorite parts of the day receiving emails from each other! Michelle then left her hometown in Pretoria, South Africa for the first time ever and we welcomed her with open arms. Three weeks after her arrival I gave birth to our second daughter, Lacey. She had an immediate bond with our three-year-old, Kyla, and even brought her a Curious George shirt from South Africa! She enthusiastically helped with our newborn and Kyla. I was fortunate enough to spend the entire summer with Michelle, Kyla, and Lacey. We cooked together, traveled to nearby states, and did arts and crafts and fun outdoor activities together.

Michelle has become a sister-like figure to Lacey and Kyla. Kyla even draws Michelle in her family pictures at school. We’ve loved getting to know about her culture, and have even learned a few Afrikaans words (dankie)! We will have a bilingual household soon!  She has introduced us to the wonderful world of chutney and putting pineapple in salad!

We love the updates and pictures that she sends us during the day while we are away at work.  We know our kids are in the best hands! We are looking forward to meeting her parents when they come stay with us in April.

On a personal level, Michelle is someone we trust and look forward to talking about our days with when we get home. She’s made great friends and travel companions while living in Atlanta. We were even lucky enough to host “South African Hour” for the au pair meetup in December. Michelle and I worked on the food and decorations to make sure all of the girls felt welcome especially during the holiday season away from their families.

I’ve attached a few of my favorite pictures since her arrival that encapsulate the love that our family has for Michelle! We wish she could stay with us forever! She truly is our “newest” family member, and she should without a doubt be the au pair of the year!

Thank you so much for your time and for allowing us this extraordinary opportunity to host Michelle.

All my best,

Cara