Cora, garde enfant - 20154 Milano

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Cora and I’m currently studying a Laurea Magistrale alla Bicocca. Last year I lived an Au Pair experience in Belgium. I was graduated in Geology degree at the University of Barcelona and I lived in Barcelona for four years (before last winter in Belgium) due to my studies. However, I always took the chance to go back to my city, Figueres, to visit my family and friends.

Taking into account the fact that I studied geology, this world has awaken my interest for nature (yes, it really sound poetic but I couldn’t find better words to describe it). During this degree we made lots of fieldtrips in which we felt the same passion our lecturers show us whilst explaining any topic. Apart from that, I should also highlight tennis: it consists of my favourite sport since I started playing it at the age of 11. I also danced for many years; however, I had to quit it because I moved to Barcelona.

My family is composed by both my parents (Mª Rosa and Joan) and my younger sister (Emma), who is 15 years old, in addition to my grandparents (Antonio and Antonia), whom I always search for time to spend with. About my sister, it is fun to confess that we are opposite poles and maybe that’s the reason why we complement each other so well, leaving apart the age difference. My other family (this is how we call ourselves), my group of friends, is formed by a heterogeneous assemblage of 14 people in which we have known each other since I started high school. Even though we live separated lives we always find the way to see each other during weekends and enjoy our time together (we’ve even travelled together to different countries).

About my childcare experience: I have been taking care of my sister since she was born. I was barely 8 years, and believing I was mature enough my parents gifted me (at that time I didn’t believe it was a gift but... she is my sister) with partial responsibility on my sisters’ childcare whilst they were working. Moreover, some years ago my cousin Oriol was born (he is currently 5 years old) and I have been taking care of him during summers. We have created a very close bond as he is extremely active and I just enjoyed so much playing together and making up fantasy worlds. My youngest “cousin” Àlex, who is scarcely 3 years old, and is really one of my cousins’ kids, has been the most recent and complete experience with childcare of them all. I have spent so much time with him, as his father and I are nearly “siblings”, that we’ve mutually learnt from each other. Each child is a world to discover and they show you how to focus and see life from different perspectives that we, as adults, don’t consider.

I decided to enroll in this program for various reasons. First of all, and as many people here, because of our predisposition to take care of children. I love spending time with kids: boredom doesn’t exist for them and you also discover personal aptitudes you wouldn’t imagine. I find it consists of an excellent opportunity to meet new people with same interests and to grow at a personal level. It is also important to learn and submerge one itself in different cultures. The way of really getting to know a new country is living it, and not as a tourist. I would also like to find a job while I'm studying in order to earn some money and help my parents with the expenses of living abroad. I'm so happy with the host family I was staying with in Belgium and we've created a really big affection between us.

I wish to have accomplished your expectations and hope to hearing from you soon.

All the best,

Cora