Senior Project Spotlight: Patrick Z.

While on a family trip to Washington, D.C. at the age of 7, Mr. Rogers developed an interest for history and a natural inclination to learn about the past. He remained interested through elementary and high school, but it was his first college history class where he learned what the subject has to offer in terms of perspective and skills. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz and was so inspired by his professors there that he went on to earn a Master’s in Modern European History from San Francisco State University.

It was in his graduate studies that Mr. Rogers developed an interest in English and how works of literature could serve both as a source to a time period, as well as insights into society and what people are thinking and feeling in a certain time period. He began his teaching career at a small art college in Sunnyvale and has recently taught history and English at the middle school and high school levels in Walnut Creek.

Mr. Rogers is a strong believer in the skills that can come from the humanities. He believes critical thinking, analysis, and proper, organized writing are just as important as the content humanities courses have to offer, and it is these skills that students will utilize in their daily lives and careers.

Outside of work, Mr. Rogers enjoys spending time with his family and friends, reading history and classic literature, browsing bookstores, hiking throughout the Bay Area, cooking for his family, spending time on California’s Central Coast, and is an ardent supporter of the University of California Golden Bears Football team.

What drew you to join our school community? 

I am very excited to be a founding member of BASIS Independent Dublin. It is a unique and exciting opportunity to help build a school community at its very beginning. I was also drawn to the expectations students have for themselves. In learning more about BASIS Independent Schools, it was clear that students set a high bar for themselves, and helping them achieve high goals drew me to this community. 

What are you most excited about in your first year here? 

I am very excited to help set a positive culture and positive learning environment for our students and their families. I am also excited to get to work with the students in helping them develop their writing and analysis skills. These are skills students will take with them in their future studies and their professional careers, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to help them with these skills.  

What advice do you give students who want to succeed in your class? 

My main piece of advice is to write and get ideas down first and foremost. Particularly with writing, students tend to get stuck on the “right word” or the “right phrase.” Getting ideas down is the first step, and from there, students can develop a process for writing, editing, and refining. 

What do you hope students will remember most about your class years from now? 

I hope students will remember how exciting the world of writing and literature can be. I hope they look back on this class as helping them create a foundation for writing, critical thinking, and analysis that helps them in their future classes.  And I hope they remember a fun class where they found their own voice to develop and share with the world. 

BASIS Independent Dublin is a Grades 6 – 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Dublin community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Mr. Li earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he double majored in Chinese and Linguistics & Asian Languages and Cultures. He later completed a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies at UCLA with dual concentrations in Chinese Applied Linguistics and Modern Chinese Literature and Culture. His master’s thesis explored Mandarin pop music and its role in contemporary Chinese society.

Mr. Li has taught Chinese language and culture at Pasadena City College before joining BASIS Independent Dublin as the founding Mandarin faculty. He supported the dual enrollment program with South Pasadena Middle School and La Cañada High School. In addition to language instruction, he has also taught Chinese Cinema at Pasadena City College, helping students examine modern Chinese society, history, and culture through film.

Mr. Li is passionate about helping students develop both linguistic ability and cultural understanding. His academic interests include sociocultural and linguistic anthropology, as well as musicology, and he enjoys incorporating authentic cultural materials such as music, film, and popular media into language learning.

Outside the classroom, Mr. Li is a fashion and automobile enthusiast and a dedicated classical music listener. He is also a classically trained pianist and composer. In addition to his classroom teaching, he tutored students in AP Chinese and AP Music Theory and taught piano privately.

What drew you to join our school community? 

I was drawn to BASIS Independent Schools because of its strong academic culture and its commitment to intellectual curiosity. I value an environment where students are encouraged to think deeply, challenge themselves, and pursue learning beyond the minimum requirements. As someone trained in linguistics and cultural studies, I especially appreciate a community that values interdisciplinary learning and global perspectives. The opportunity to work with motivated students while helping them explore language, culture, and communication in meaningful ways made this an exciting place for me to join. 

What are you most excited about in your first year here? 

In my first year at BASIS Independent Dublin, I am most excited about getting to know my students and building a classroom environment where they feel comfortable experimenting with language and expressing themselves. Language learning becomes most meaningful when students connect it to real culture, music, film, and everyday communication. Furthermore, it is exciting to build a program from the ground up while navigating through brand-new textbook selection, planning activities and events, and decorating the classroom. I look forward to introducing students to different aspects of Chinese-speaking cultures and helping them see how language opens doors to understanding the world in new ways. Besides that, I look forward to meeting all my colleagues and discussing teaching strategies with them! 

What advice do you give students who want to succeed in your class? 

Consistency is the most important key to success in language learning. Small, regular practice, such as speaking, listening, reading, and reviewing vocabulary, makes a big difference over time. Don’t try to cram everything overnight or over a short period of time; it’s not going to work out long term. Also, try to focus on understanding the material during class, rather than blindly copying down what’s on the slides. Lastly, I encourage students not to be afraid of making mistakes and/or asking questions during class. Language learning is a process, and mistakes are often the moments where most learning happens. Curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to participate will take students very far. To quote my college advisor’s words, “the more you put in, the more you get out.” 

What do you hope students will remember most about your class years from now? 

I hope students remember that learning a language is not only about memorizing words or grammar, but about understanding people and cultures, as well as developing critical thinking skills and open-mindedness. If students leave my class feeling more confident communicating, more curious about the world, and more open to different perspectives, then I will consider that a success. On a macro level, I hope students can think like anthropologists: be curious and open-minded, and think like linguists: careful, precise, and attentive to detail. 

BASIS Independent Dublin is a Grades 6 – 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Dublin community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Originally from the South, Ms. Lucy received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. She had the unique honor of performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, as well as on the floor of Parliament in London. In 2018, she joined a professional Touring Theatre Troupe based in Seattle that incorporated aerial arts. Before teaching, Ms. Lucy went the route of a professional performer, continuing to build her career in Musical Theatre through several professional theatre contracts. She now enjoys taking that real-world performing experience to the classroom, passing her tools and skills onto the next generation of students and performers.

Moving from the role of professional performer to the role of a performing arts teacher has been a joy for Ms. Lucy, especially with her background being deeply rooted in youth development; it has been a seamless transition. She grew up year-round at her parents’ business: a summer camp in North Carolina, where she was immersed in an intention-rich world focused on youth development, emphasizing the value of being well-rounded.

Ms. Lucy’s base philosophy is this same idea of building a well-rounded self, extending not just to STEM and Arts, but beyond to building character. What an opportunity to teach at a school that values the well-rounded student! Theatre is a great creative outlet using art to communicate, but it also allows us to learn how to come together with mutual respect in a creative space, teaching self confidence and the courage to try new things.

She and her husband most recently relocated from eastern Pennsylvania, where she taught and choreographed theatre productions and intensive training programs in drama to students at a variety of youth theatres and learning centers. Fresh to the Bay Area, she and her husband are loving setting down their anchor in their new home. In her free time, Ms. Lucy enjoys hiking with her dogs, marathon running, instructing dance fitness classes, and writing and producing music, currently working on the release of her second original album! She could not be more eager to not only join the BASIS Independent Dublin Team, but also to embark on this monumental new chapter for the school. Ms. Lucy is proud and excited to step into the role of Subject Expert Drama Teacher to help students discover the beauty and power of theatre, and through this discovery find their own voice, zest for life, and individuality in what they uniquely bring to the table (and stage!).

Are there any highlights you’d like to share about your teaching philosophy or approach?

I believe that there is so much power in allowing creativity, heart, and hard work to cohabitate. And it takes all three! Even if you just have creativity and hard work, you are missing that element of YOU that makes your work stand out from the rest and really speak to people. In both storytelling and in life, you can impact others on a new level when each is introduced into the equation. In addition to an approach that highlights the power of creativity, heart, and hard work, I also teach storytelling with an emphasis on honesty of character in light of reflecting on and dissecting the different aspects of the point of view at hand. As a Subject Expert Drama Teacher, it’s important for me to teach students that storytelling is a craft that encapsulates the history of the world, clarity of the present, and honesty of character voice.

What are some of the most rewarding parts of being a Subject Expert Teacher and working with BASIS Independent School students?

This will be my first year with BASIS Independent Schools, but despite it being a new learning community to me, the most rewarding part of being a teacher never changes: Getting to really know each individual student, their passions and strengths, and fostering that unique spark. I am a big believer in the fact that each person is naturally equipped with a different set of gifts for a reason. It is my favorite thing to help discover and develop each gift, shaping them into a sharp and powerful tool kit catered to each student that they can continue to use well beyond the school’s walls. The difference in BASIS Independent Schools is that the community and mission goes above and beyond to allow that individual support to each student through the specialization for each subject. It’s rare that you see a community of teachers so skilled at their individual crafts united together all in one place. The possibilities seem limitless in terms of knowledge and support at the students’ fingertips! It’s exciting to be part of such a powerful community serving one goal: “to educate students to the highest international levels” through “hard work, the right support, encouragement, and inspiration”.

Are there any thoughts you’d like to share with families who are joining – or who are thinking of joining – the BASIS Independent Dublin community?

Even though I am new to BASIS Independent Schools, the overwhelming support, love, and detailed, intentional care for each student is so apparent. I cannot wait to see what unfolds for the BASIS Independent Dublin students and teachers alike as we all build the next generation of life-long learners together.

BASIS Independent Dublin is a Grades 6 – 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Dublin community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.