Peter Mantius
History Instructor, Residential Life, Tennis Coach
Tel: (805) 646-4343 Ext 134

History and Social Sciences Department, Residential Life, Athletics
World History, US History, Comparative Religion, Boys’ Tennis, Girls’ Tennis

Year Appointed: 2009



B.A. Trinity College
M.A. Boise State University

After graduating from The Stony Brook School in 1995, Peter attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he rowed varsity crew and received a B.A in Political Science. From there, he spent time in the marketing department of a ski resort in Washington before taking a job with an insurance company in New York. Looking for a more rewarding career, he stumbled upon a small boarding school in Massachusetts, and he was hooked. After teaching for three years, he embarked on a year-long single-handed sailing voyage down the East Coast and through the Caribbean. Shortly after his return, he met his lovely wife, Krissie. Looking for adventure, they headed west, ending up in Boise, ID, where Peter worked as a graduate assistant while receiving his M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Boise State University. Although they planned on teaching back East after their Western adventure, they ran into the Besant Hill administrative team, and the rest is history.

Peter and Krissie currently reside in Phoenix and serve as patient and loving dorm parents to a gaggle of wonderful teenage girls. In the classroom, Peter teaches both US and World History. As a coach, Peter heads the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams. In his free time, Peter continues to develop his passion for outdoor adventure and oil painting. This is their second year with the school, and they both feel privileged to be a part of such a fascinating and caring community.