William Ballenger

William Ballenger has donned many hats as a teacher, coach, house parent, administrator, and Advanced Placement exam reader befitting a boarding school veteran spanning more than two decades.

He and his wife, Kristin, came to Christ School in 2022 following five idyllic-wanderlust years overseas at King’s Academy in Jordan, where he shepherded aspiring, young teachers as Director of Teaching Fellows, chaired a department, and was a member of the Hiring Team.

He became chair of Christ School’s History Department in 2024.

Mr. Ballenger’s favorite fictional character is Indiana Jones, and he has lived his own share of adventures: thru-hiking the entire lengths of The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and El Camino de Santiago; peddling three coast-to-coast bicycle treks; and paddling 2,000-plus miles on America’s National Wild and Scenic Riverways. He firmly believes in the educational value of travel, bringing history alive for students by integrating his personal globetrotting experiences at historic sites in over 50 countries and 47 states across five continents into his curricula. Mr. Ballenger is an eight-time Teacher of the Year, including Christ School’s 2024 Teacher of the Year; five-time graduation speaker; and three-time Yearbook Dedication honoree, each by vote of the students.

A boarding school alumnus (The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey), Mr. Ballenger graduated magna cum laude from Alma College before earning a Master’s degree in Social Studies Education through his graduate coursework at the University of Virginia and the University of Oxford (England).

Major animal lovers, Mr. Ballenger and Kristin, a veterinarian, and their four frisky felines are thrilled to live among the boys as Head of Young Dorm. Since returning stateside from Jordan, they have relicensed as foster care parents to resume a calling that they previously enjoyed for years: “whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:36).