Trivium Prep Seniors Suit Up at Blazer Ceremony

Trivium Prep, a Great Hearts academy in Buckeye, Arizona, recently commemorated the presentation of blazers to their senior class. While there are many milestones that are celebrated in high school at a Great Hearts academy, the blazer ceremony at Trivium symbolizes the achievement and responsibility of becoming a senior.

Many of our upper schools honor the promotion of juniors and seniors with a slight change or modification in their uniforms, such as shirt style or color, the addition of a tie, lapel pin, and in this case, a blazer, presented to the seniors during a ceremony to celebrate the passage. While the blazer ceremony takes place at many campuses, each puts their own flare of pomp and circumstance on it to make it their own.

Parents were invited to witness the momentous occasion and sat in bleachers of the gymnasium alongside the rest of the rest of the student body and faculty of Trivium Prep. The seniors were seated facing their friends, teachers, and family. Headmaster Dan Schutten welcomed guests before turning the focus to the seniors.

“The Blazer is more than an article of clothing. It’s a symbol of a couple of things,” he said, addressing the seniors. “[First], your accomplishment making it this far is hard, no matter where you’re at, no matter what school you’re at. And making it this far at Trivium is an accomplishment and one to be recognized. The Blazer symbolizes that accomplishment. So, you can wear it with pride, knowing you earned this. You’ve come this far and done this well.”

Schutten next shifted from the accolades to the duty of wearing the esteemed blazer. “The second symbol is of responsibility. Whether you like it or not, the younger students watch you. They listen to you. They do what you do. They say what you say. So, whether you want to be or not, you are role models for the rest of the students at the school. You set the tone. You set the culture more than we do. You outnumber us so take it as a mental responsibility as well. It’s your job to set the tone. It’s your job to be an example to the other students.”

At the conclusion of his exhortation, Schutten called on each senior, one-by-one, to come to the front and receive their blazer. Faculty members were on hand to place the blazer on each senior and congratulate them with a cordial handshake, while Schutten read aloud a quote that was personally picked by the scholar. Quotes ranged from favorite authors, philosophers, and acclaimed poets.

“It’s a symbol of your accomplishment. Something to be proud of and it’s a symbol of your responsibility as seniors, as leaders in the school. You are now and have been the leaders of the school. So, take that responsibility seriously and know that all of us, your teachers and your parents, are so proud of you,” concluded Schutten.

After the ceremony concluded, parents and seniors stayed behind to get photos taken together. Tradition is a cornerstone of Great Hearts Academies, and the blazer ceremony at Trivium Prep continues to be a time-honored rite of passage that parents, scholars, and faculty alike hold dear.

Learn more about blazer ceremonies at Veritas Prep at: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/veritas-juniors-honored-in-grand-tradition/ and https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/a-blaze-of-glory-at-veritas-prep/

Learn more about blazer ceremonies at North Phoenix Prep at: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/keep-your-pin-up/

Learn more about blazer ceremonies at Glendale Prep at: https://youtu.be/kV6o-aNh-ns

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