As the number of students grows, so does the number of faculty. Therefore, the need for new teachers is inevitable.

Mr. David O’Neil, known as Magister to his students, is one of the many new faces found at Herron High School this year.

O’Neil has taught a variety of subjects in schools all over the country.

“I’ve taught… English classes in Indiana, and Latin and Greek, and test prep classes in Cincinnati,” said O’Neil. 

In fact, Mr. O’Neil did not even major in Latin. He majored in Greek and English and did not take a single college Latin course.

Later, O’Neil decided to teach himself Latin, and he found himself eventually taking an official Latin class.

“I love language, and I’m interested in culture,” he said. “Latin is a mix of both. I also love mythology.”

After living in New York, O’Neil and his wife decided they would move back to Indianapolis.That is when he got the offer to teach Latin at Herron High School. “The offer to work at Herron was almost instantaneous,” said O’Neil.

Although he had not heard of Herron High School, he was interested in the education system and idea of charter schools. He is also a firm believer and supporter in different options when it comes to education.

When asked how Herron differs from the other schools, he replied, “I get the feeling more students want to be here than at the average school.”

In his free time, Mr. O’Neil watches movies on Netflix with his wife, and is re-studying calculus.

“I’d like to have a stronger knowledge of math and the sciences in general,” explained O’Neil.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish during his time at Herron, he replied with a simple “All my students to become Latin geniuses!”