Tiffany Meulemans, who has been teacher’s aid at Petersen Elementary School for the past two years, is now the upper grades teacher for Petersen.

Born and raised in Berrien Springs, Michigan, Tiffany began her college experience studying Elementary Education at Andrews University. After spending a year as task force at Highland View Academy, she returned to Andrews and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) and a Master’s degree from the University of Houston in Social Work (MSW). She has worked in hospice, mental health, and group therapy. While doing social work in a public middle school, her passion for education was renewed. She discovered her love of middle school students!

“I am so excited about this opportunity,” said Tiffany. “The pull to teaching that I first felt in my last social work position has remained very strong. I guessed that eventually having a classroom was in God’s plans for me someday down the road. He does love surprises! I was joyfully amazed to hear that I would have the honor of serving the Petersen families in teaching the upper grades this fall. I’ve been blessed to work with several skilled teachers these last two years, and have learned invaluable lessons watching these educators lead their students.

“As I enter this school year, my first as the classroom teacher, I am claiming Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous…” and I’m using it as a classroom theme. Our world is a scary place sometimes. We experience pressures from all sides, many which stand is opposition to our Seventh-day Adventist moral compass. We have been commanded to go out into that world, but we don’t go alone. We go with courage and strength from our Lord, and I hope that I can help our kids claim that promise even more strongly this school year.”

Tiffany and her husband, Ken, have been married for 11 years and have a daughter, Felicity, who will be a second grader this year. They enjoy living out in the country with two cats, two big black labs, and nine chickens. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys baking, reading, crocheting, and sewing her own clothes. she has also enjoyed working at summer camp, Pathfinders, and in Sabbath School departments. As a family they love road trips with their camper, and watching the sunsets across the corn fields around their home.

“I’m excited to be dusting off my student hat as well as putting on my teacher hat,” said Tiffany. “I’ve had opportunities to attend two amazing teacher training events in these past few weeks. I’ll be continuing that student role as I resume my studies in Elementary Education, striving to learn as much as I can to be the teacher that God is calling me to be.”

Juanita Edge, Communication Director