David Hardesty

David Hardesty earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arizona and his Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Seminary. He brings a wealth of experience to The Classical Academy through years of pastoral ministry, teaching, school leadership, and business. His journey in classical education began as Dean of Students at one of the largest ACCS classical Christian schools in the country. Since then, he has served as a humanities teacher, Dean, Head of School, and Upper School leader.

David is particularly gifted in the distinct culture of the upper school classroom. He thrives in environments where students are invited into rich, respectful Socratic dialogue, wrestling with timeless ideas, grappling with complexity, and growing in wisdom. He believes this kind of teaching is not only intellectually rigorous but deeply humanizing, aligning with how God has designed students’ minds and hearts to develop during adolescence. These habits of thoughtful discussion and principled argument shape students into people who can discern truth, speak with grace, and live with conviction.

He also leads The Classical Academy’s capstone senior trip to Italy, an experience that allows students to walk the very streets of ancient Rome and Renaissance Florence, bringing their years of classical study to life. For David, this trip is more than a culminating adventure; it is a living classroom that reinforces the deep connection between virtue, beauty, and historical imagination at the heart of classical Christian education.

In addition to the Academy’s Italy trip, David is an eager traveler who once toured England using a 1,200-year-old text as his guidebook. He and his wife Colette serve on the worship and leadership teams at their local church and live by the joyful words of 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”