Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Capitol Hill DC

Laura Hamel

Laura is excited to welcome children and parents to Mathnasium and help kids learn math in a way that makes sense to them! Currently raising three sons, Laura understands the high value families in our community place on education. Laura graduated from Wake Forest University with a BS in Business. After discovering Mathnasium and opening their first center in 2014, Laura and Jonathan knew they had found the perfect way to combine their passion for children and education.

Jenny Colletti

Jenny has always had a passion for teaching. She believes there is more than one way to solve every problem and loves helping children develop their own sense of problem-solving and critical thinking. She graduated from the University of Miami, where she majored in Math and Sociology, and has been part of the Mathnasium team since 2013. She enjoys seeing the difference she makes in children's lives every day at Mathnasium.

Karla Tavarez

Karla has always loved math! She earned degrees in Applied Mathematics and Economics from the University of South Florida and is passionate about encouraging students to share her enthusiasm for math. She is excited to continue to grow with Mathnasium and help create lifelong problem solvers!

Riss Mendizabal

My name is Riss Mendizabal! I was born in Matanzas, Cuba and grew up in Miami and graduated from Ransom Everglades. Education is something I have always been passionate about. As a former instructor for Breakthrough Miami, I know first hand the importance of a strong mathematical foundation in children's lives. In my off time, I enjoy cooking and spending time with my 7 year old lab, Lenny.

Caira Ruiz

Caira is a human capital development specialist with 7 years of youth development, technical communications, and research experience. Caira earned her BS in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and graduated as an Honors Humanities and Global Fellow. Over the past decade, Caira has supported financial institutions such as the Federal Trade Commission, the World Bank, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. In addition, Caira has tutored youth K-12, as well as undergraduate and masters students, in topics such as econometrics, data science, foundational math, and foundational english. Caira is a passionate educator whose goal at Mathnasium is to allow each student to unlock their own unique problem-solving algorithm! During her off time, she enjoys creating music, lifting weights, and reading manga.