Faculty Spotlight: Meet Mrs. Heidelman

My name is Susan Heidelman. and I have the privilege of teaching English and History to 8th graders this year! Working with these talented and energetic 8th graders in their last year of middle school brings me such joy.

“I love building relationships with my students and partnering with parents to be an additional voice of encouragement, support, and truth in their children’s lives.”

Our family moved to Wheaton this past July from Orlando, Florida where we have spent the last 6 years serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. But we are not strangers to the Wheaton area or Chicago suburbs. My husband, Josh, and I both graduated from Wheaton College and prior to living in Orlando, we lived in Elmhurst for over 8 years. When we moved from Elmhurst to join Wycliffe, I’m pretty sure I said I would never return to the Chicago area because I hated the cold weather! I am learning that I should “never say never” to God, who clearly had other plans. What is so great about God, though, is that He prepares our hearts for the things He has for us; the year leading up to our move back to Chicago, my heart changed in such surprising ways, and I found myself praying that He would open the doors for us to move back.

“One of the main reasons for this move for our family has been about WCGS.”

Jesus gave us a picture over a year ago of our family settling in Wheaton so that our family could be a part of WCGS. We are beyond thrilled to be a part of this amazing school.

Josh and I have been married for almost 19 years. We grew up at the same church in Indianapolis, and a fun fact of ours is that we sat at the same table group in 3rd grade Sunday school class. Love at first sight??? Josh says yes. After being told there was a strong possibility that we wouldn’t be able to have any children, God did abundantly more than we could ask or imagine and blessed us with 5 of them!

Our oldest daughter is a freshman at Wheaton Academy; we have a son in 8th grade, boy/girl twins in 6th grade, and our youngest daughter is in 3rd grade. In the Heidelman family, at least 5 of us are extroverts making for so much talking and activity at our house. There is never a dull moment! In our free time, we enjoy getting together with neighbors, having family movie night, and taking bike rides to downtown Wheaton to get ice cream or visit the Popcorn Shop.

I believe Jesus calls families to different forms of schooling; there are benefits to homeschooling, public school, and Christian schools. He is working in each one of those venues, and more than anything, He wants families to listen to His voice and be obedient to the place He is calling us in each season. I have taught in both public schools and Christian schools, and my kids have been in public schools, been homeschooled, and have now been in a Christian school. In each season, I believe He was working out His great purposes in our lives and for His Kingdom. With that being said, I am extremely grateful that He has called me to teach at WCGS; this is a remarkable school!

“At WCGS, I have seen how our kids are hearing truth and being personally challenged in their faith by each teacher. I love that, as a teacher, I have the opportunity to encourage the students who walk into my classroom each day to seek Christ with their whole hearts and to help them see their education with a Kingdom perspective.”