Third Culture Kid Advocate

Home of the Third Culture Kid

Welcome home. I say this because it took 37 years for me to understand where I truly belong.

Belonging is a fundamental basic human need; we all want to feel accepted and supported by our peers, a tribe, a community. Everybody needs roots somewhere (or so many often say) and yet, for over 200 million people on the planet, they can’t tell you with confidence where they’re from, and most importantly, they can’t easily answer who they are. This is my family. This is my tribe. This is the Third Culture Kid.

By definition, a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is someone who has spent a majority of their developmental years living outside of their parents’ passport country (or countries). Historically they were children of international business people, foreign service workers, missionaries, teachers etc. What makes a TCK unique is that they are living highly mobile and multi-cultural lives while their personal identity has yet to be fully developed. Identity is a key theme in the TCK experience. Who we are, where we’re from, our value system, our place in society, our relationships to others and our environment- all this is still forming at the time the TCK is constantly moving schools and leaving friends across countries and continents.

Watch Nikki speak at the SPAN Symposium this October!

Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) : The SPAN Symposium will deepen your transitions-care understanding and practice through the keynotes, panels and other sessions, and strengthen your global connections through the networking opportunities.

Register here: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/SPANSymposium2024/home

My dear friend Stephanie Bovis and I talk openly about our tolerance for risk and discomfort as Adult Third Culture KidS (ATCKs). We discuss how to choose your next "home" when married to a TCK , the loss and grief that accompanies every move and the importance of honoring the transition between your old life and the new. Make yourself a cup of tea and come sit with us!

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This is Nikki’s biography, keynote descriptions, and press kit. Use this for conferences, agendas, programs, and events. Please include links where possible.

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Research

THIRD CULTURE KIDS: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

TRANSITION STARTS WITH AN ENDING AND FINISHES WITH A BEGINNING. I’ve just started reading William Bridges’ “Managing Transitions” and am struck by how elements of organisational change are similar to the assets gained through a TCK upbringing! This is why I truly believe that Third Culture Kids have a lot to contribute towards a company’s crucial […]

THIRD CULTURE KIDS: RESILIENCE

THERE’S AN INCREDIBLE RESILIENCE ABOUT THIRD CULTURE KIDs (TCKs). Growing up amid so many different cultures, we are pros at adapting to change. We can navigate through unfamiliar social settings, languages, and customs like it’s our second skin. TCKs have a truly global perspective, shaped by our exposure to multiple cultures and traditions throughout our […]

THIRD CULTURE KIDS: IMPACT IN THE WORKPLACE

QUALITIES OF THIRD CULTURE KIDs Let’s talk about the awesome qualities that Third Culture Kids (TCKs) bring to the workplace. TCKs are special! ⁠⁠We have some marketable gifts and we are sitting on a gold mine! ⁠⁠1. Highly adaptive⁠2. Strong team players & natural leaders⁠3. Embrace change⁠4. Built-in global mindedness⁠5. Empathetic & communicative⁠6. Internationally mobile⁠7. […]

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