Balancing Act: Mom and Counselor Regina Wehner

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Regina Wehner is the kind of person you gravitate toward no matter the context. If you’re at a small gathering, her sense of style makes her unique, if you’re at school, her friendly nature will have you wanting to tell her all your secrets. Her compelling wit and kind nature make her the perfect inspiration.

She left the United States with her husband Matt 5 years ago, choosing to come to Beijing in the hopes of giving her kids, Nola and Ivy, a better understanding of the world, even though that meant leaving behind her extended family and friends behind.

She is currently in her last year of working as a middle school and elementary school counselor at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) – a job that has changed her life. 

“I’ve learned so much more about myself and continue to have resources to learn more about middle schoolers,” she said. “I’ve learned more in general about different people and different cultures than I ever would have learned if we would have stayed in the US.”

From riding the slide down the Great Wall of China with her kids, to the amazing feeling she got when walking onto the WAB campus for the first time, her life in Beijing has been anything but mundane.

Wehner has always been careful to maintain a professional relationship with her daughters’ teachers and staff at WAB. She didn’t want to blur the lines between her personal and professional life, but it wasn’t always easy. The school was like a second home to her daughters, and she found herself feeling comfortable around the staff and kids, some being Nola or Ivy’s friends or teachers. But no matter the situation, she has walked that fine line with grace, never overstepping.

As a former student of hers, I can tell you first-hand how kind this woman is: she held me while I cried and let me stay in her office whenever I was too overwhelmed with anxieties. She was the one who helped us “wounded soldiers” (middle schoolers) during the long battle against Covid. She helped those around her and will continue to help more. She is an extraordinary human. Though her time in Beijing has come to an end, her legacy here will live on through the guidance she has given to many a student such as myself.

Images: Regina Wehner

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