Giving Tuesday – Trivium Prep

What makes Trivium Preparatory a great home for students? Our community!

How do you build up a community for the next generation of students? The answer is having dedicated, caring, and motivated teachers who are passionate about student development. Mr. James Manion, a graduate of Hillsdale College with a degree in Political Economics and Religious Studies, is a pillar of the Trivium community who began his teaching career Great Hearts in 2012.

Mr. Manion is passionate about the classical education offered by Great Hearts Academies and believes that a classical education provides a strong emphasis on Western tradition and philosophers. These classic works support his “Belief that these books show what it means to be human.”

In Mr. Manion’s 6th Grade History and 10th Grade Humane Letters classes he explores sources of wonder and inspiration of the world through history and the great literary works. His passion for education drives him to seek out new perspectives and topics to share with his class, even when teaching the same subject matter year after year. This passion allows him to connect with his scholars throughout his many years of service to our Trivium Community.

Mr. Manion’s mission is to make the learning experience enjoyable for every scholar who walks through the door.

“Being a teacher allows for a lot of opportunities to feel loved by students and teachers,” James said.

This relationship goes both ways and is the foundation for the Trivium Community. What do Mr. Manion’s students think of him?

“He is funny. He is nice. He is cool. And he makes sense,” an anonymous student shared.

The trusting environment Mr. Manion builds is a great model for building a strong community. Even when the Trivium population of students expanded, Mr. Manion made sure to emphasize an environment built on trust, communal spirit, and the opportunity to ask questions. In 2020, Mr. Manion’s message to the graduating class was “If my life were to be written down in a book, then we would be in each other’s pages.” The bonds created in Trivium foster a community that leaves an impression on

everyone’s story. Mr. Manion is a welcome inclusion in the pages of many past scholars’ life stories and will continue to be for many scholars to come.