Each day, when Ryan Meinhart steps into his classroom at Jasper County High School, he brings more than a stack of lesson plans and an assistant soccer coach’s whistle. He brings with him a story that spans continents, careers, and cultures—a journey that has ultimately circled back to the place his family has long called home.

The son of Bill Meinhart, a well-respected former Jasper County school board member, Ryan’s path was anything but straightforward. A standout soccer player, Ryan pursued the sport professionally, playing first in San Diego before taking an unexpected leap overseas to Thailand. “Somebody said, ‘Do you want to go to Thailand and play?’ and I went,” he recalls. That scheduled two-month stint evolved into more than a decade of life abroad.

Life in Thailand unfolded in ways Ryan never could have scripted. After a back injury ended his stone and tile trade work and stagehand union job in San Diego, he retrained as an English teacher. He taught literature and language to Thai students, often working with high schoolers at the same level as American ninth graders. “They valued teachers in their society,” he says. “There were very few behavior issues. Sometimes my problem was getting students to talk, whereas here I can’t get them to stop talking!”

Cultural contrasts shaped his teaching philosophy. Respect for elders was ingrained in Thai classrooms, and students were expected to focus solely on academics rather than juggle sports and part-time jobs. Yet Ryan also noticed similarities that cut across borders: “People everywhere want the same things—the things that matter most aren’t really all that different.”

While his professional path flourished abroad, Ryan’s family life deepened, too. He met and married his wife, Nualanong, who goes by Honey, is a Thai entrepreneur who still runs two popular Bangkok restaurants—Daniel Thaiger and Stax—both named with nods to their children. Even now, with the family settled in Jasper County, Honey oversees her thriving businesses from afar, supported by a loyal team and tens of thousands of social media followers.

For the Meinharts, the decision to return stateside was guided by their children’s future. Daniel, now a sophomore; Luca, in seventh grade; and Matthias, just starting kindergarten, all attend school in Jasper County. “We wanted them to learn Thai when they were younger, but for older kids, you want them to get an education in America,” Ryan explains. “A degree from a Thai university isn’t the same as one from the U.S.”

Today, Ryan teaches ninth and tenth grade English at Jasper County High while also coaching soccer. The team for which he serves as an assistant coach—a coed squad of 20 athletes—is thriving, carrying an 8–1 record early in the season. He credits not only the players’ talent but also the international experience he brings from years of coaching academies in Thailand and training under elite mentors. “I’m able to influence games and training sessions in ways that maybe others couldn’t,” he says.

Back in Newton, Ryan is still acclimating to American life—the higher cost of living, the health care system, even the rhythm of a teacher’s paycheck. Yet what grounds him is the sense of connection he finds in this community. Unlike in Thailand, where language barriers sometimes kept him apart from parents, here he feels directly woven into the lives of his students and their families. Coaching his own son adds another layer of meaning.

Asked what makes Jasper County unique, Ryan pauses. “Maybe it’s the community. Everyone’s supportive. As long as you apply yourself, people will respect that,” he reflects. It’s a simple truth, but one that echoes both his father’s legacy and his own circuitous path back home.

Ryan’s story is not only about landing in hallways his father once walked—it’s about bringing the world back with him.