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.