Gone with the American Wind: My application

Country of birth:	France
Current residence:	Le Havre, France
Nationality/Citizenship:	France
Date of birth:	February 26, 1986
Gender:	Femal

Why do you want to be an au pair?

I want to be an au pair because I like to be with children. Since 2008, I work with children, it's very amazing and I like the contact with them and to bring them everything I can. I want to be a real part of my future host family, bring the kids my knowledge and my experiences. I also want to help them to advance in their life and to see them growing up. It would be great to be there to accompany them trough the events of their childhood. The second reason why I want to be an pair is because I want to travel as much as I can, to meet people from different horizons with various cultures and beliefs. My aim is to converse with people, to learn more about the others. I dream of America for a long time and being an au pair will allow me to make this dream come true. I would like to discover the american way of life, the american famous monuments and awesome lanscapes. To finish, I 've got to say I also want to be an pair because I want to practice my english of course, to learn running idioms and to speak more fluently with the right accent

Why should a family choose you to be their au pair?

One of my qualities is my maturity. I'm independent since I'm 18. Besides I have a real adaptation faculty. I'll be able to find solutions to all kind of situations and to make your children happy. I think family should choose me because they could trust in me and confide me their kids. I'll be autonomous, serious,dynamic, resourceful and innovative at the same time. I'll be able to take some decisions and to keep your children in safety

What would you like to accomplish during your time as an au pair?

I really would like to create a wonderful relationship between the children and I, help them to grow, share a lot of experiences. I would like to study photography to have more knowledge, take more beautiful photos and make best use of my camera. If I can, I wish to keep going my passion : horseriding. I also would like to travel and discover America. My wish is to learn traditions,the american history and to see historic places. My dream is to visit the Grand Canyon and to horseride in monument valley. Besides, I could combine my two passions : horseriding and photography.

What would you like to do when you return from your time as an au pair?

After my au pair's time, I know I'll keep going to work with children. Maybe I'll find a job as horseriding instructor .If I could find a post abroad it would be great because I would like to travel as much as I can. So,maybe I'll ask for a WHV (Working Holiday Visa) which offers the possibility to spend 1 year abroad ( in 6 different countries ) for work and travel.

Letter to future host family:

Dear Host Family,

I'm Emma and I'm 25 years old. I live in Lower Normandy in a sea side resort called Villers sur Mer (near to Deauville well known for the american film festival). I took an apartment there for my studies. My parents are divorced but they both live in Normandy, so I see them often.
My father is retired. He was electrician. Now, he lives in a small town in Upper Normandy with cats, horses and lamas. My mother is retired too, she was a nurse. She lives in a big city , she has 2 energetic dogs. She is also a horserider.
All my family loves animals and I'll be glad to live with animals during my Au pair year.

I think of being an Au pair for a while, so it's not a decision taken on impulse. I've always liked the contact with people and with children. Meet people, share experiences and cultures are amazing things. I like children because they are always dynamic, spontaneous and funny. Besides they want to learn more all the time.

Since 2009, I work as apprentice horseriding instructor ( I'll graduate in June 2012 ), so I teach horseriding to people and particularly to children from 4 to 18 years old. This is a very exciting job because I can join all I love : horseriding and children. I horseride since I am 4 years old, I have made a lot of competitions and I'm glad to have the possibility to pass my passion on to young people like it was the case for me before. I like too see children being happy when they play together and with the ponies, or when they just learnt new things. Thanks to my job , I also got more autonomy and responsibilities because horseriding is a sport and I have to care for the children security all the time and to make them laugh and have fun at the same time which needs to be serious, resourceful and funny. Another part of my job is to learn theoretical basis concerning horses like how to take care of them, feed, brush and prepare them ...
I remember when I left my first horseriding school, several children and teenagers didn't want me to leave. We were all so sad and it was very difficult for me to explain them I had to leave because I finished my graduation ( I worked in this horseriding school and I was at school at the same time ). I kept contacts with some of them and sometimes we speak together on the phone or thanks to web (msn, facebook ...) ... they tell me what they do now and also that they would like me to come back even if they know it's impossible. It's always hard to find a solution in this case, so one day I made them a surprise and I came to see them at the horseriding school. They were really surprised and happy to see me, and so I was.
What I also like to do with children is to help them doing homework,cooking, going to to cinema or having a walk as I do with Clementine (a 15 years old teenager I take care for). With Clementine we are very close. We do a lot of activities together like playing video games, going to the cinema, shopping, biking... Sometimes, she wants to stay with me even if her mother doesn't need me to take care for her, so we spend more time together. We go to the Chinese restaurant for example, we watch movies. Recently, it was her 15th birthday and Clementine and her mother invited me to a family party to celebrate it. I was so glad to be with her for this important moment in her teenager's life.

I have other passions which are photography and travel. I like discovering new countries, new people and new cultures. When I go somewhere I always keep my camera with me, I make a lot of photography and I would like to learn more about this during my Au pair year.

All my family supports my decision to be an Au pair. They know I like being with children and they think it'll be a great experience for me to meet new people,to live like an american citizen for a year, to have a working experience oversea with children and to practice my English.

That's for all these reasons that I decide to be an Au pair in the USA. America is a resourceful country with a real culture, a lot of historical places and landscapes. I want to learn as much as I can about it and about your family.
I'll take care of your children as my siblings and I hope to become like a part of your family.
I look forward to read from you ...

Best regards . Emma

Hobbies: Emma Coulon

We asked Emma Coulon: Please describe your interest and experience in the following areas, and how often you participate in them:

Do you play any sports?

Yes, I go horseriding every day since 1990. It is my passion and at the moment I prepare a graduation of sports teacher in this department. This sport takes me approximately all my time so I have no time left to do another sport.

Do you enjoy music?

Yes, I like music but I don't play it. I listen all types of music except metal, hard rock. I particularly appreciate the French DJ David Guetta, Lady Gaga, the groups Muse, Cold Play and Maroon 5, some French artists like Mylene Farmer and Benabar. I also like music from the 80' and disco.

What kind of outdoor activities do you like?

During the summer 2010, I went to Brazil and done rock climbing in Rio and it was a great experience that I'll do again if I could. I also made canyoning and via ferrata when I was teenager in a summer camp and it was really amazing. I really would like to do this again.

Do you like creative activities?

I'm an amateur photographer. I have got my own camera, a professional one. I like to take landscapes. It is a good way to be creative. I play with the light and the shadows, try to see things under another angle. I would like to study photography during my Au pair year if it's possible. I took acting lessons when I was younger and also for my animation diploma in 2009. I liked that, it was a very good exercise to work on personal trust but for now I have no time to do this.

Please describe any other activities or interestsyou participate in and enjoy such as going to the movies, museums, reading, cooking, travel, etc.

During my free time I enjoy going to the movies, doing some shopping, having a walk on the beach, cooking for friends or going to the restaurant. I appreciate paintball and karting too. I read books in French of various authors like Galvada, Frederic Beigbeder or Stendhal. I also read the Twilight saga to raise my English level. One or two days a month I go to Paris to meet my friends, take pictures and to visit places like The Louvre, Palaces of Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Grévin museum (which is the French version of Madam Tussauds) or Montmartre (The Basilica of Sacre-Coeur). It's very important for me, it allows me to have a better knowledge. I try to travel as much as I can. Last year, I went on a trip to Brazil to visit a friend who lives in Rio De Janeiro. I spend 3 weeks there and it was unforgettable. I traveled around Europe in Italy, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom,Switzerland, Belgium and Crete.I also visited North Europe countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark and African countries like Morocco or Algeria. I like to meet people with different cultures and to learn more about them.

What activities (outdoors and indoors) would you like to do with the children in your host family?

With children I especially enjoy doing outdoor activities because I think the most of the time they prefer being outside like going to the park to walk and play, to the zoo to see animals. But the most important thing is what the children wish, I always listen to them to be sure I suggest them an activity they want to do. Why don't we invite friends to make a big lunch and play together afterwards ( games don't miss : baseball, treasure hunt, running )? The rainy days, when it's impossible to go out, I've got others activities to suggest to the children like stay at home and make severals activities like cooking to make a surprise to their parents for the dinner, play society games, drawing and painting. We can also create puppets or costumes for events like Halloween, a birthday party ... If the children prefer doing something else we can go to the aquarium, the cinema or to the commercial center ( at Christmas time there are so beautiful decorated stores and they can take a pictures with Santa Claus too )

Please describe any other talents or skills you have that would be useful when caring for children.

I work with children daily. When I worked in a school I helped children doing their homework and I'll be glad to help yours. I'm very patient and I listen to the children to help the children the best I can. When there are troubles, I always try to find a solution who suits everybody. I can say I'm a good mediator because I always care about the children interests, I listen to them and I do my best to satisfy them as often as possible. Children can speak with me when they have a problem and they don't know what to do. I provide them a permanent assistance. I like to help children to learn new knowledge, I explain the things to them with the help of my imagination. If they don't understand something like an exercise or something else I explain it in another way : I choose a situation they well know and I compare it with these situation.

Photos: Emma Coulon

This picture was taken in August 2010. Here is one of best friend Elodie who lives in Rio De Janeiro. We took this picture after having walked and climbed during 4 hours through the wild forest to reach the famous Christ Redeemer .We were so proud of us!

This picture was taken on my current working place. I was giving a lesson of equitation to young teenagers ... and they were very concentrated, as usual.

Before beginning a lesson, I always check the equipment of the riders and the ponies in order that everything takes place in the best conditions. Now the riders can have fun and learn in security.

This picture was taken during a project on the theme of comic book, wich I made for my studies in 2010. I played the role of a super-hero whose name was Supergirl.

Here is my dog Attila , a Parson Russel terrier : a little bit hairbrained but so kind !

My horse, Galaxie, and I having a walk spring on a beach in Normandy. I'm very tied to her. We made french championship (jumping) together in July 2010.

This photo was taken the evening of new year's day. I'm with Lizea, the daughter of a friend of mine

Mathilys, a 13 years old teenager. She took an exam relating to horseriding and I helped her to learn knowledge.

Lounea , a 5 years old girl, and I. She's the daughter of one of my friends , Coraline. Lounea knows me since her birth, I often visit her mother and her and now she called me Auntie. I'm like a member of the family for her and I'm glad about this.

This pictures is a funny and good memory. It was taken in 2010. I'm with Camille , a friend, and we were dressed up to act in a play on the theme of 4 seasons.

This picture is one of my first memories when I began horseriding. I'm with Poly who was my favorite pony. I made my first gallop and my first competition too with this pony. On this picture I was almost 7 years old.

We took this picture in July 2011. I'm with some of my bests friends. We made a surprise party for Elodie (who lives in Rio De Janeiro) when she came to visit us in France.

Clementine and I playing the Wii . We always have a lot of fun even if she wins approximately all the time.

Clementine is very dynamic , she needs to do a lot of outside activities. We often take the bike and the child scooter.

Clementine has got a sweet dog her mother offered her 5 years ago. Clementine likes her dog whose name is Cowboy. We often take a walk on the beach or on the harbor with Cowboy.

Here a photo with a part of my riders team. From left to right : Ema, Antonella, Manon, Me, Laura and Margaux .... and our mascot : Tic-Tac.

After a horseriding lesson , a funny moment with my riders ... All means are good to laugh. From left to right : Antoine with Jasmin, Alix with Laika and Maelle with Igloo ( who are twins ) and Coraline with Hariette.

My tattoo with the butterfly in the middle. Black lines are arabesques.

Clementine is in junior high school. It's her last year before secondary school so she has to work very hard to succeed her certificate of general education. I help her in French, English and history/geography.

We cook frequently , we don't pretend we are future chef but we like to do cakes or other dish (even if they are simple).