Mr. Rogai has been teaching here at Malvern for 12 years and has enjoyed every minute.

English Department Leader Mr. Jay Rogai worked in a few different schools after college, but none have been as rewarding as Malvern.

“It has been the longest stay professionally,” Rogai said. “I feel like I have a chance to grow as a professional and I have been challenged every year to improve.”

Rogai first arrived at Malvern during the fall of 2003. He had just come from a two year job at Bonner. Director of Student Life Dr. Jim Fry was there with him for a year before he came to Malvern. He told Rogai about a job opening at Malvern in the English Department. Rogai applied and was offered the job.

Before he worked at Bonner, Rogai worked as a long-term substitute teacher at Newman High School (before they merged with Goretti) for about a year. He was the third teacher that they had in a month. He ended up working from fall to spring and actually got promoted due to seniority. He accepted the position at Bonner in the fall of 2001.

Prior to Newman, before he knew he wanted to go into English education, Rogai was in the movie and television industry. He loved working in Philadelphia during this time. He never wanted to move away, but he concluded that his profession and location were not compatible. According to Rogai, the only places he could get very deep into the movie and television industry were in Los Angeles or New York at the time.

But now it is a different story.

“I think that technology has changed to where if you have the drive, and a little bit of understanding, you can probably reach an audience anywhere,” Rogai said.

Rogai did end up getting a job with a production company, but not full time. The company’s main source of income was through commercials. He did various jobs for the production company, but Rogai determined that he did not want to work in an office.

“Because I had that experience,” Rogai said, “I knew it just wasn’t for me.”

Mr. Rogai soon realized that he loved English. He loved the aspect reading good books and talking about them with students. “I know that every book may not interest every student, but I can see that some students make connections with things, and that’s really cool to see,” he said.

Mr. Rogai grew up in Havertown, Haverford with two brothers. He always enjoyed playing sports with his brothers, so he was never alone. Baseball was his passion as a child, so he would always play pickup games with his neighbors. He also enjoyed playing football, basketball, and street hockey.

He attended Annunciation up to the second grade, Colman Neumann from third to eighth grade, and St. Joseph’s Preparatory School for high school.

He attended Fordham University and graduated with a BA in Communications.

Last spring, Mr. Rogai graduated from Villanova University with his Master’s degree in English.

Rogai remembers Malvern from when he first visited in eighth grade. One of his favorite parts of the job is that he can go outside and walk across campus, and there is not a defined office space he needs to be in.

“Malvern continues to be a great opportunity, and I’m invested in the success of the school and its students,” Rogai said. “Malvern made my Master’s possible. So professionally, I have had the opportunity to grow.”