Our Team at Mathnasium of Bayside

Michael Kimmel

Michael is the Center Director for Mathnasium of Garden City & Mineola and serves as Deputy Director in Mathnasium of Bayside.

Michael grew up in nearby Baldwin and attended the University of Virginia, where he received his B.A. in Mathematics and B.A. in Psychology. Subsequently, he completed his post-graduate work in Secondary Education in Mathematics at Queens College. Michael has well over a decade of tutoring experience throughout NYC and Nassau, spanning SAT tutoring and private prep classes. Prior to heading up our Garden City & Mineola center, Michael had been with Mathnasium of Bayside for nearly seven years and developed a reputation among our families and the community as a trusted mentor.

In his spare time, Michael might be seen and (heard!) playing trumpet with popular cover band Sons of Sanford while performing rock and R&B classics across Long Island and at various benefits, including Arnoldstock, which supports Autism awareness. You may have also caught Michael diving for line drives in his baseball gear, snagging outs from hopeful hitters! He played organized baseball as an adult for over 15 years and led his team as the manager for a few of those. With his love of numbers and love for baseball, we might just have started calling him Bayside Billy Beane!

If you guessed that Michael’s favorite shape is the parabola and equation is quadratic, you are correct! He loves teaching and solving problems involving the Quadratic formula, and can talk poetically about its applications everywhere in our everyday lives!

Joshua Basaldua

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Joshua Basaldua is both an Assistant Center Director and Instructor in our center. He is a Whitestone native and a graduate of Binghamton University, where he received a Bachelors in Mathematical Sciences. If you look Josh up, you'll find that he was all over the coveted Dean's List! Josh has worked extensively in education and youth athletic programs focused on students from kindergarten through high school, and has completed fieldwork in middle schools and high schools in New York. During the summers and when he isn't at Mathnasium, Josh spends a significant portion of his time working with NYJTL (New York Junior Tennis and Learning).

If you "guessed" that one of his favorite activities is tennis, you have been reading this biography attentively! Josh started playing the sport when he was just five, and he stuck with it ever since!

Josh's favorite super-hero is Batman because Batman "always finds a way out of an impossible situation." And in Josh’s words, one of his favorite equations is the quadratic formula because "the equation always works!" ...It seems clear that in math or in life or in super-hero universes, you can count on Josh loving a certain (and good) outcome!

Josh is a valued member of our Bayside team and is cherished by students of all ages in our center. He also speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Roseanne Gatto

Roseanne is a Queens native who grew up in nearby Howard Beach. After attending St. Francis Prep High School, she continued her undergraduate studies locally at St. John’s University and then the CUNY Graduate Center for her Master's Degree. She received her doctorate in Composition and Rhetoric from IUP and is a tenured faculty member of the Department of Core Studies at St. John’s University. In addition to teaching writing, she participates in mentoring and recruiting bright students at local and national levels. As a former high school teacher and now a mother of two, Roseanne is involved with the DOE as well as several local Catholic Schools. She is an expert in academic assessment and development with an eye on equity. She participates in recruiting events across the country.

Roseanne brings her love of teaching at all levels to all aspects of her life and is especially excited to work with Mathnasium families to build confidence in children of all aptitude. Her primary focus areas are marketing, outreach, and evaluation of center operations and employee relations.

In her spare time, Roseanne enjoys spending time with her children and her best four-legged friend, Reba.

Antonio Coyoc

Antonio is both an Assistant Center Director as well as a beloved instructor in our Bayside center. He is a Queens native in the Honors Program at St. John’s University, where he is majoring in Math and has a penchant for scholarly teaching. He knows that the keys to success as an instructor are patience, enthusiasm, and compassion and demonstrates these qualities to our students every day. Feel free to pop into the center anytime to witness him in action!

In addition to receiving scholarships and various honors distinctions –yes, not just in math!—Antonio was the recipient of the Scholar Athlete award for his high school. He’s an avid baseball player and a huge Yankees fan. Even though his idol is Yogi Berra, we’re sure Antonio would have loved a chance to sit with him and work on some of Yogi’s famous quotes… like, “baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical” or “you better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six!!!”

Antonio loves to bike in his spare time and is also an active volunteer at the Church of Incarnation and is also currently the head sacristan there.

Shi Chen Lin

Shi grew up in Georgia but moved to New York when she was in middle school. She graduated from Brooklyn Tech and currently attends Stony Brook University, where she is majoring in psychology with a focus on pre-nursing.

Shi loves exercising and playing music. She also loves to work on math problems in her spare time as they help her clear her mind, and she might be seen drinking a milk tea –her absolute go-to drink—while she’s at it.

Her favorite symbol in math is infinity because it represents the different lessons and knowledge we can obtain throughout our lifetimes. In her own words, “I'm not sure if this makes sense, but I enjoy the process of chasing infinity.” It’s beautiful how she sees the idea of infinite knowledge as a limit function in itself. What a derivative of life!! (And yes, of course she’s amazing at calculus.) If Shi isn’t at Mathnasium, you might spot her volunteering in a hospital or clinic, probably working with and helping children as she prepares to become a pediatric or maternity nurse. Shi brings this passion for helping and learning to our Bayside center every day. She enjoys exploring math with students and teaching them to not just think about math as a bunch of numbers, but as something that is fun, makes a ton of sense, and that is applicable around us everywhere in real life!

JohnAngelo Cuevas

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JohnAngelo Cuevas grew up in Fresh Meadows, Queens. He is a graduate of Bayside High School and currently attends Queens College, where he is pursuing degrees in Mathematics and Secondary Education.

In the past, he has worked as lead counselor at summer camps, worked with students in STEM programs, and assisted in developing company websites across different platforms with a focus on standardizing the user experience.

John is an active member of the community. Through Our Lady of the Snows and American Martyrs Churches, he has volunteered his time to many food collection drives, participated in Hurricane Sandy Relief Clothes Donations initiatives, and worked on Greenway Parks and Playground cleanup initiatives as well as various diversity events.

If you guessed that John’s favorite games are Among Us and Pokemon, you are correct! Feel free to talk to him about new and upcoming releases or about the latest Pokemon merch he’s looking to amass.

John’s favorite shapes are, in his own words, “spheres and circles because they represent my favorite sweets being donuts and a nice scoop of Cookies and Cream.” And just like that… thanks to John… you’ll never look at donuts and ice cream the same again! Finally, John’s favorite food is his mom’s Thanksgiving turkey, so look for an invite from him in late November!

When John isn’t at Mathnasium or on campus, you might find him on Twitch streaming some Nintendo Games.

Angelina Iacovou

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Tomasso Coraci

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Sarah Chaudhry

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Sarah Aguiar

Sarah is a Townsend Harris alumna who is pursuing an Applied Mathematics major at Stony Brook University. She's a member of the National Honors Society and an AP Scholar, and has honed her patient, communicative, and adaptable instruction style through her work as an Altar Server Captain of St. Robert Bellarmine’s Church and as the Senior Opinion Copy Editor of her high school paper. Sarah previously volunteered as an intern for Sandra Ung’s City Council campaign, is a proponent of financial literacy as a member of the Junior Economic Club, and is a former Track & Field relay runner.

Sarah is a fan of 80s rock music, Spiderman, and romantic comedies! When she isn’t busy talking about her favorite shape --the beautiful circle-- or her favorite number (if you guessed 3, you are right!), you might spot her on a morning jog or at an Indian restaurant savoring a tasty dish of Vindaloo. Finally, Sarah is a Second-Degree Brown Belt in Shotokan Karate. She has earned medals as a student and competitor and has also been a mentor to newer athletes. If you’re suddenly worried about yourself around her, don’t be, because Sarah embodies the phrase, “Your spirit is the true shield.”

Ron Arcentales

Ron graduated from Queens College with a B.A. in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. Math has always been his favorite subject and he enjoys sharing his passion for it with students. He believes that being patient and approachable is the key to being a great tutor. He has been with Mathnasium for over 6 years and is an invaluable member of our team.

Ron’s favorite math topic is the Fibonacci Sequence because it can be found everywhere in nature. When he isn’t working as a legal assistant or teaching students, Ron can be found playing handball, which he has passionately pursued for the past 18 years and plans to keep doing it at every chance he has.

Ron also speaks Spanish.

Kenneth Kim

Ken graduated from Brooklyn Tech and is currently at the Stevens Institute of Technology, where he is studying engineering. He has lived in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, but he currently resides in Queens. Ken only has one borough-move left to say he’s lived in all five… will Staten Island be his next stomping grounds?

One of Ken's favorite questions to ponder is 6 ÷ 2 ( 1 + 2 ) because, in his own elegant words, “it shows the flaws of PEMDAS and how a simple equation can result in multiple answers without clarity.” This equation has certainly set off many interesting (and heated) conversations around the globe!

Ken’s favorite movie is Ready Player One because it explores the possibility of a full-dive virtual reality. When he isn’t at Mathnasium, you might spot him on campus in Hoboken or on several online videos he’s made!

Jasmine Then

Jasmine grew up right here in Bayside, Queens and recently earned her BA from Binghamton University, where she majored in Math & Actuarial Science with a Minor in Economics. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts from Queens College, where she is specialising in Math and Secondary Education.

In her spare time, Jasmine loves to dance and play music. If you're interested in a dance off, feel free to challenge Jasmine with some hip-hop moves or classical ballet (yes, she is that versatile!). And when it comes to music, she will blow you away with her flute, literally! She played it for 9 years when she was younger.

When it comes to math topics, Jasmine's favorite are the Taylor series and Maclaurin series of functions. She loves them because they can make tedious work fun... but you'll have to brush up on your derivatives knowledge before having a conversation with her about them here!

If you guessed that the circle was Jasmine's favorite shape... well, you only get partial credit. In her own words, she doesn't have a favorite shape but she does "have a love/hate relationship with the circle." That is deep, but probably better suited for a conversation with her. So just ask about it the next time you are with her in the center.

And her favorite super hero? Thor. Jasmine appreciates his story and sees it as one about personal growth.

Jasmine also speaks Mandarin and Spanish.

Dylan S.

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Dylan is a Queens native, a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, and a National Merit Scholar. Prior to joining Mathnasium as an instructor, he was a student of Mathnasium! So he’s well versed in our materials and relates exceptionally with our students. Dylan was previously a counselor at the Alley Pond Environmental Center, where he prepared workshops for visitors and cared for various animals.

In his spare time, Dylan enjoys drawing and playing games –his favorite are Celeste and Super Mario 64. His favorite number is 24, because in Dylan’s own words, “it’s large enough to be somewhat substantial, small enough to not seem arbitrary, both of its digits are even and multiples of two, and it has many factors.” What a beautiful explanation and lens into his mind!

Alex Ching

Alex grew up in Bayside and attended Stuyvesant High School. He has a B.A. in Mathematics from Binghamton University and recently completed his Masters of Education from Fordham University. Alex has been with Mathnasium for nearly 3 years, and has taught science to elementary school kids at day camps and volunteered teaching math to elementary school students in Chinatown in the past. He believes that his passion for math and love for teaching is the key to being an effective math tutor.

When he isn’t busy talking about imaginary numbers, natural logarithms, and the number Pi (Euler’s equation is his favorite!), Alex might be seen enjoying a real slice of pizza pie, playing basketball, or speaking Mandarin.

Alex tutors math to students at all levels.

Caitlin Yao

Caitlin is a Queens native through and through. She was born and raised here and now attends St. Francis Prep. Her middle school math teacher obsessed over the quadratic formula, and that rubbed off on her as the quadratic formula is now her favorite. Way to go teachers!

If you guessed that Frozen is Caitlin’s favorite movie, you are correct. She loves the story so much, she just can’t let it go! You might have also figured out that music is a huge part of Caitlin’s life: she loves playing percussion instruments and the piano whenever she can.

When she isn’t instructing at Mathnasium, Caitlin might be spotted rushing between classes or might not be seen at all. She loves to sleep and makes sure she gets plenty of it everyday to keep her energy levels high when awake!

Jason Jung

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Jason Jung lives in Whitestone and attends Bayside High School. He excels at math and helping students learn difficult concepts, and has wonderfully fresh perspectives on the world. His favorite shape is the spiral from the Fibonacci sequence. In his words, “it’s so satisfying how a mathematical sequence creates a perfect spiral, and how it relates to art, people’s faces, and so much more around us!”

Jason also has unique interests that he pursues outside of school that you might not guess: he loves origami, coding, and watching archery competitions. He’ll tell you right away that his absolute favorite superhero is Spiderman because he’d love to swing like him. “He looks so free!” But if you asked him what his favorite movie is or food is, he’ll tell you that it changes every time. What a fantastic, beautiful mind!