Name: Steve Crossley
Background: Mr. Crossley joined BBIS in January 2021 as Head of Boarding, having previously worked in boarding schools in the UK, Austria and the US. Steve is a level 3 boarding practitioner and holds the BSA Boarding Management diploma, in addition to a BA in politics and history from Salford University and a PgDip in pastoral care, guidance and pupil support from the University of Aberdeen.
Passions: Steve is married with two daughters, enjoys running, winter sports and travelling. Steve is passionate about residential education and making sure that BBIS is a "home away from home" for all boarding students.

Name: Boris Fatic
From: Podgorica, Montenegro
Background: Mr. Fatic joined BBIS Boarding as a live-in mentor for the 2018-2019 school year. Before this,he attended the Mediterranean University, Faculty of Foreign Languages. During his fourth year of studies, he worked in human rights for a local NGO. He has also worked as a boarding coordinator for Knightsbridge Schools International, an IB school in Tivat, Porto Montenegro.
Passions: Mr. Fatic enjoys helping young people reach their full potential and teaching them to act with honor, integrity and compassion. Hetakes great pleasure in reading books, watching movies, going to the theater, cooking and playing sports.

Name: Margit Schmeißer
From: Lower Bavaria (Germany)
Background: Mrs. Schmeißer started working at BBIS Boarding in July 2014. Before then, she worked for industrial companies like Siemens as a team or management assistant.
Passions: Mrs. Schmeißer likes to sing, read, travel and get to know different cultures. She enjoys helping boarding students and their families with all things that come up in daily life at BBIS Boarding.
Send Mrs. Schmeißer an email.

Name: Angelika Heidt
From: Wolfsburg, in northern Germany
Background: Ms. Heidt started working at BBIS Boarding in June 2017. Prior to this, she studied economics and journalism, and worked for consulting companies. She has also lived in Istanbul, Turkey.
Passions: Ms. Heidt is a qualified German teacher and breathing coach. She is passionate about cars and loves to read, bike, travel and walk with her dog.
Send Ms. Heidt an email.

Name: Kyle van Hall
From: Northern Virginia, US
Background: Mr. van Hall joined BBIS Boarding as a live-in mentor for the 2014-15 school year. He has lived and traveled throughout the world and, having discovered his passion for Germany as an exchange student, now considers Germany his second home. He has also worked for over 10 years as a teacher in IB and bilingual schools teaching history, geography and English; and was an international youth worker and a wilderness guide.
Passions: In his free time, he canoes on the nearby lakes, bikes through the local forests or experiments with cooking gourmet meals.

Name: Nicholas Heymans
From: Knysna, South Africa
Background: Mr. Heymans has held different positions within the boarding school environment over the last 8 years and has a Bachelor of Education from the University of South Africa. He joined BBIS Boarding as a live-in mentor for the 2021-22 school year
Passions: He is passionate about education, sport and travelling.

Name: Lukas Miedel
From: Seattle, US
Background: Mr. Miedel joined BBIS Boarding in the fall of 2019. After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Sport Management, Mr. Miedel traveled around Europe for the summer and was especially impressed by parents’ country, Germany. He returned to Seattle, earned his TESL certificate, and moved to Berlin shortly thereafter. As a freelancer, he taught English at various language schools in Berlin and also to kids at English camps. Mr. Miedel ran an English club and other activities for the boarding students.
Passions: Mr. Miedel loves to travel and play sports, particularly skiing/snowboarding and ice hockey. But his true sport is soccer – he played for the Olympic Development program as a teenager.

Name: Nadine Pieterse
From: Gauteng, South Africa
Background: Ms. Pieterse joined BBIS Boarding as a live-in mentor for the 2021-22 school year. In Cambodia, where she lived and worked for an international school. She realized her passion for education and making an impact on the lives of students. Ms. Pieterse finds her purpose in guiding students to take initiative and lead as key community members by encouraging real-world skills and ensuring that students have ample opportunity to experience life outside of academics. With roots in the pharmaceutical industry, she then went on to complete a Marketing Management degree at the University of South Africa and is currently pursuing a Masters in Education.
Passions: Ms. Pieterse enjoys sharing her outdoor adventures and experiences with her friends and family, especially camping and scuba diving. A lover of coffee, she also takes pleasure in traveling off the beaten path and reading books.

Name: Lindsey Walsh
From: Cape Town, South Africa
Background: Ms. Walsh has four years of experience working within boarding schools and holds a BA degree from the University of South Africa, an Honours degree in Psychology and an MA in Anthropology, specialising in Wellbeing and Nature connections from Rhodes University. She joined BBIS Boarding in August 2021.
Passions: She is passionate about working with and mentoring students from all walks of life. Ms. Walsh supports and encourages students to find what contributes to them living a purpose-driven life.

Name: Felipe Buitrago
From: Bogota, Colombia
Background: When he was 16, Mr. Buitrago travelled to New Mexico, US to participate in a wilderness program run by United World Colleges that focused on eating and sleeping well, keeping warm and sticking together. The experience shaped his belief that students are at the center of their own experience; and should be supported to make decisions suited to their needs and context, while considering responsibility towards the group and community. After finishing studies at Earlham College in the US and a MC in Outdoor Education with Phillips Universität in Germany, Mr. Buitrago joined BBIS in May 2017.
Passions: Mr. Buitrago believes in the values of accessibility and social justice.

Name: Dawna Grand
From: Seattle, US
Background: Mrs. Dawna Grand has been a part of the BBIS community since 2018 and joined the BBIS Boarding Team in 2021. She and her husband have two children who are BBIS graduates. In her professional life, Dawna holds Marketing and Business Administration degrees and spent 15+ years working in the Communications and Learning & Development fields. Always seeking out personal challenges she hopes to obtain her B1 French certificate within the next year or two.
Passions: Mrs. Dawna Grand loves cooking and learning about culture through food, spending time with family and friends, traveling and being an active member of her community by volunteering at local non-profits.

Name: Erika Crossley
From: Ohio, US
Background: Mrs. Erika Crossley is a registered nurse in the United States with a Masters Degree in Nursing with a focus as a clinical nurse leader. After working at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in oncology and child and adolescent psychiatry, she moved to England and began her career in boarding schools as a school nurse and counsellor, focusing on mental health, wellbeing and adolescent support and completed further professional training in youth counselling and mental health first aid for school.
Passions: She is passionate about health and wellbeing and for the greater part of the last decade designed and delivered a range of programs and interventions to support students in schools in the UK. Erika is also committed to diversity and inclusion and has been involved in a range of projects to raise awareness. Mrs. Erika Crossley has completed two ultra-marathons and continues to enjoy running and exercise, along with spending time with her family.