Alexandra Mihalko
Ambassador of First Impressions
Hi, there! I grew up in Budapest, Hungry and lived there until the age of 18 years when I decided to move to Corfu, Greece. At the beginning of my journey, I barely spoke any English and never thought I would be able to put two sentences together, but here I am writing my introduction for you to read! In Corfu, I worked as a waitress where I also learnt the Greek language. After a while, I decided to move to Rhodes and was offered a job as a housekeeper. I really enjoyed the sun and the lifestyle but, as soon as winter hit Greece, there was nothing else to do other than go home to my hometown.
I was 20 years old when I first arrived in London and worked as an an pair for an adorable family, with whom I still keep in touch as they became my second family. Whilst I was working for them, I studied to get my Early Years Degree in Childcare Education. I have always been keen to learn and achieve, and I have several qualifications and degrees in Early Years Education. I also hold a Makaton and British Sign Language certificate and, not long ago, I got my Advanced Level 5 Diploma in Developmental and Child Psychology. Meanwhile, I had begun working towards getting my counselling skills qualifications. As I told you, I really enjoy learning new subjects, new languages, and new skills.
Previously, I was lucky enough to work for a Jewish nursery setting in North London and was the 2nd in Charge Room Leader for the baby room. I really enjoyed my time there and got to learn some Hebrew words too. I was also a preschool teacher for a private school, where I learnt many new skills and managed a bigger class with older children. As a preschool teacher, I got to work with children with ASD and hearing loss. This is where my Makaton and sign language skills were very handy! Just before joining The Children’s Place, I worked as a nanny for three years. I looked after many children and got to know several wonderful families throughout my journey. Being the Ambassador of First Impressions for The Children’s Place gives me the opportunity to still engage with children and their families whilst developing new skills.
A little bit more about my hobbies outside of work: I am (was) a professional swimmer, and every year I swim to raise funds for charities. Whenever I have time, I read Stephen King’s books and am trying to collect them all!
Thank you very much for reading my introduction and getting to know me a little bit better. I am so looking forward to welcoming all of you lovely families to our clinic!