Thank you, Ms. Heidi Meiners!

This summer, we say goodbye to a beloved member of our ICSB community, Supplemental Services Director, Ms. Heidi Meiners. After two decades of faithful service, Ms. Meiners is transitioning to a new ministry opportunity, but thankfully, she is staying in Hungary.

Ms. Meiners, who is originally from Asheville, North Carolina, began her journey at ICSB in 2003 when she came here to student teach, working closely with Ms. Lori Dickason. After she completed her student teaching, she moved from her hometown of Asheville, NC, to Prague, where she served in a church-planting ministry and taught English. In 2004, she returned to ICSB for what she thought would be a short-term role, working as a classroom aide for a second-grade student. She stayed for twenty years. 

I came for 3 weeks and did not know that I would end up being here for twenty working years. 

When Ms. Meiners was initially recruited into the mission field, she had a difficult time seeing herself as a missionary. She always saw herself in a supporting role, not as the front runner of outreach.  Since she did not see herself as an evangelist, which she believed to be the requirement to be a missionary, she was convinced the mission field could not be for her. We are grateful that this did not stop her from joining the mission field, as her service and presence have impacted the lives of so many families serving in the mission field, and in all walks of life, one student at a time. 

Over the years, Ms. Meiners’ roles at ICSB have evolved. Her first summer after officially joining ICSB, she completed her NILD training. She started working with 3 other students as an educational therapist. When there was a need for a math teacher, she taught math. Over the years, she continued training and got her master's in teaching special education. While working on that master's, she started co-directing the department with Ms. Cheryl Winget. In 2015, she assumed the director role, which is the position she gracefully held for the remainder of her time at our school. Through it all, her heart for students—especially those needing extra support—has been her guiding compass.

Since I was a teenager, I have had a desire to work with children who just needed extra support to help them thrive. 

Ms. Meiners holds a master's degree in Special Education from Western Carolina University and another in Psychology from Grand Canyon University. Her training and experience have not only shaped the Supplemental Services program but have also deeply impacted the lives of students and families across our community.

 

 

When asked about her favorite part of the job, Ms. Meiners didn’t hesitate:

It's the rewarding longevity. You get to watch kids grow from pre-first through 12th grade, and you get to watch them grow not just physically but spiritually and academically, so that's fun. 

This longevity seems to be a theme in her life, and it is infectious. She attributes her continuity in Hungary to making Hungarian friends, most of whom she met through her church. Her closest friendships today are with Hungarian church friends at Golgota Budapest. Her own long-term commitment to the school and to this beautiful country has created a culture of longevity in the Supplemental Services department. She celebrated the longevity of the Supplemental Services team, who, in turn, get to see the same impact and growth over time in the students, which she herself values so deeply. 

Living in Hungary has brought its own joy. Ms. Meiners has made her home in the heart of Budapest, enjoying riverside walks, museums, cafés, and cultural events. These are aspects of her life she will continue to enjoy as she stays in the city for this new chapter of her ministry. 

 

 

What’s next for Ms. Meiners? She’ll remain in Hungary but step into a new role, providing educational support for families serving cross-culturally in Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. She is using part of her totalization period to travel around Europe, before spending some time with family and supporters in the U.S. and then returning to Hungary to continue in her new ministry. Her travels will be an exciting, well-deserved break after 20 years of service.

As she reflects on her time at ICSB, Ms. Meiners recalls sixth-grade lock-ins, seventh- and eighth-grade outreach weekends, basketball tournaments, and even the earliest classroom memories—like a dinosaur news project from her first year.

Getting to watch kids who were so shy when they started at the school, but by the time they got to high school, they were singing and dancing in the musicals... I love sitting in the audience, reflecting on that. It is so fun to see that growth. 

We are grateful beyond words to Ms. Meiners for her time, heart, and legacy at ICSB. Though we take comfort in the fact that she is staying in Hungary, she will be deeply missed. We look forward to seeing the many ways she will continue to be a blessing to so many in this next chapter.

Heidi has a remarkable gift for guiding students in their learning and personal growth. Over her many years at ICSB, she has been a true blessing to countless families. Her deep care for both students and parents has been evident as she’s walked alongside them through challenging yet meaningful seasons. I’m truly grateful to have had the privilege of calling her both a colleague and a friend.

Dr. Kristi Hiltibran, ICSB Director