By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
A vacuum cleaner…an air fryer…When it comes to Valentines Day gifts, Sara Meihak has to admit her husband, NRHEG Superintendent Michael Meihak, isn’t particularly romantic. “It’s more a matter of getting me something I need, but spending more on it than I would myself,” she says. “Some people might say they’re too practical, too useful.
“But I think they’re just right.”
Well, except for that one time. The set of exercise weights went over like, if you’ll forgive the wordplay, a lead balloon.
Sara, who has been NRHEG’s food service director since the beginning of the school year, and who served in that position at JWP for about 10 years, says working together in the same location has not been harmful to their relationship. On one level, it’s particularly rewarding, since she can always count on receiving honest feedback about her work.
It’s just as well, though, she continues, that their schedules don’t allow them to carpool, since each finds the other’s drive preferences a little annoying.
Michael prefers either a quiet car or a sports radio channel–time to contemplate the day.
Sara enjoys listening to energetic music, staying entertained and building energy.
The two have been married for 20 years and have raised Ellie, 18, who is now attending the University of Eau Claire to earn a degree in social work, and Preston, 15, a sophomore at JWP. Michael has two older sons, Tyler, 28, and Tanner, 24.
Back when the two first met, Michael had just made the transition from classroom teacher to administrator. He was a single parent serving as the interim principal By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
A vacuum cleaner…an air fryer…When it comes to Valentines Day gifts, Sara Meihak has to admit her husband, NRHEG Superintendent Michael Meihak, isn’t particularly romantic. “It’s more a matter of getting me something I need, but spending more on it than I would myself,” she says. “Some people might say they’re too practical, too useful.
“But I think they’re just right.”
Well, except for that one time. The set of exercise weights went over like, if you’ll forgive the wordplay, a lead balloon.
Sara, who has been NRHEG’s food service director since the beginning of the school year, and who served in that position at JWP for about 10 years, says working together in the same location has not been harmful to their relationship. On one level, it’s particularly rewarding, since she can always count on receiving honest feedback about her work.
It’s just as well, though, she continues, that their schedules don’t allow them to carpool, since each finds the other’s drive preferences a little annoying.
Michael prefers either a quiet car or a sports radio channel–time to contemplate the day.
Sara enjoys listening to energetic music, staying entertained and building energy.
The two have been married for 20 years and have raised Ellie, 18, who is now attending the University of Eau Claire to earn a degree in social work, and Preston, 15, a sophomore at JWP. Michael has two older sons, Tyler, 28, and Tanner, 24.
Back when the two first met, Michael had just made the transition from classroom teacher to administrator. He was a single parent serving as the interim principal at the JWP middle school, located in Waldorf at the time. He was also the girls’ basketball coach: The team made it to state that year.
Family members encouraged the two to get to know one another.
Sara says her decision to consider the relationship rested on Michael’s reputation as “a nice guy with a good heart.”
Michael remembers knowing of Sara and having a good impression of her, and thus being open to the idea of becoming better acquainted.
On their first date, he invited her over for a home-made dinner: chicken alfredo.
It seems to have been a fortunate choice. Asked to describe an ideal date, Sara names staying home and having dinner made for her. She places equal emphasis on not having to be the one who cleans up afterward. With the meal managed, the next perfect step is a round of board games.
Asked the same question independently, Michael suggests a relaxing day on a warm, sunny beach…followed by an evening of board games or cards.
Once the two of them had established their fundamental compatibility, the relationship managed to develop despite certain bumpy patches.
“I’m not much of a sports person,” Sara mentions. “But I sat through a lot of basketball games. About all I can say is that sports are a lot easier to watch when the right team is winning.”
A self-proclaimed “sports nut,” Michael smiles ruefully. “I’ve been called a lot of things,” he admits, “but Mr. Romantic isn’t one of them.”
Still, both the Meihaks feel that the differences between their personalities have been a source of strength, rather than of difficulty.
“We balance each other,” says Michael. “She’s more spontaneous. Left on my own, I would probably never have tried some of the things that have turned out to be very rewarding.” Among those things, moving into a new home within the same community and a number of trips the pair have taken together. Each of the two independently mention a trip taken shortly after their marriage to the U.S. Virgin Islands as one of the most romantic ventures they have ever shared.
Ironically, one of the most challenging times their relationship faced was about a decade ago, when Michael took a position with the Hawaii Department of Education as a “school renewal specialist.” Despite being in what many would consider an ideal setting, they stayed only a year. “Even a normal move is stressful,” Sara recalls. “This was genuinely hard for me. We had to really depend on each other.” Sara remembers feeling homesick and lonely. “I told him we couldn’t stay, that we had to go back to Minnesota.”
Back 15 years ago or so, Sara was looking for a job to fill her time. Learning of a “prep cook” position at JWP, she signed on. It was a good way to earn some money and still be available to her children. As her skills and knowledge grew and staff changes occurred, she was asked to become food service director there about 10 years ago.
Michael continued building his career as well, eventually becoming NRHEG’s superintendent at the close of the 2020-21 school year. With the retirement of longtime head cook Virginia Raimann in June of 2022, Sara applied for and was selected to serve as NRHEG’s food service director.
“It turns out, serving food to hundreds of children every day is a job that suits me,” says Sara. “It’s constantly chaotic, it changes every day, and the work time flies by.”
When their schedules allow for some free time together, they love to play board games with their family. In fact, they’re such fans of board games that they own more than 200.
There are, however, certain games Sara refuses to play against Michael because he always wins them. “He’s good about losing,” she observes. “I’m not.”
As time passes and the Meihaks look toward becoming empty nesters, the two see more opportunities to spend time together. “When he retires, I’m going to retire,” proclaims Sara. “We’ll be able to travel and visit the grandkids who will come along eventually.” For the meantime, they enjoy occasionally traveling to the southwest with extended family.
Sara’s sister-in-law Lynette Cowdin comments, “They are two honest, hard-working people with personalities that complement each other. This keeps them grounded: they support each other both personally and professionally.”
Though they may not be picture-perfect, walking definitions of the word “romance,” the Meihaks regard themselves as “romantic” in their own ways.
“We allow each other to grow,” observes Sara. “We may have different likes and dislikes, but we have the same values. Sure, things come up, but we’re able to work through them because we love and respect each other.”