Paulina is one of three wonderfully worldly, intelligent, curious, compassionate, and conscientious sisters with gentle, wry humor whose parents came from Russia to the U.S. (before the sisters were born) to study, then joined the faculty at Iowa State University. About six or seven years ago, when Paulina was enrolled at Wellesley College, her younger sister, Katie, who was in eighth grade at the time, began the first of several years for me at my Ames residence where I have what I call an urban farm–about a third of an acre, non-commercial, hospitality- focused endeavor. On visits back in Ames, Paulina would at times accompany Katie to do chores and loved to be in this atmosphere with its fruit trees, vegetable beds, prairie patches, chickens and cats as well as many visitors. Doing chores was only part of the “job description.” Offering tours and hospitality to families who would stop while out on walks was the top priority in a spirit of building neighborhood relationships. Soon, Paulina would start covering for Katie when Katie was traveling. Then in 2023, when Paulina taught fourth grade in Ames at a nearby school, and Katie was in her first year at Smith College, Paulina was my key farm worker as well as doing some household chores and even traveling to my home county in northwest Iowa to tour my farmland, attend the county fair, visit other sites and camp. I treasured the times when Paulina covered the bases here at my urban farm so I could take an out of town trip to my farmland in Northwest Iowa for a few days at a time and know trust she was covering the bases here, feeding and watering not only my flock of 12 laying hens but also caring for my four cats. Paulina and Katie both have excellent attention to detail and dedication to the work here. I love our fun and thoughtful conversations and the deep friendships that have resulted from the various ways the two of them have been engaged in my life, including cooking together and traveling to my home county. I feel they know more about me than most other people. And as I am nearing my 80th birthday, it has been extra important to have the deep respect and care from a younger generation that Paulina, Katie, and their older sister, Lydia (who is finishing law school at the University of Iowa with a focus on being a public defender) have provided me. I cherish knowing those wonderful three sisters and feel like “they are family.” I feel like you could not hire a better employee than Paulina.

Paulina has served as a pet sitter for us and has been outstanding. She also has her own dog, who she has brought over to our house, and she’s great with her own dog too. Moreover, even our very finicky cat warmed up to her! We have no doubt that she would be an outstanding pet sitter and dog walker.