Our Team at Mathnasium of Brandon

Ali

Meet Our Center Director: Ali
Center Director – Mathnasium of Brandon

Ali is the Center Director at Mathnasium and brings a unique combination of academic excellence, leadership, and heart to the role. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education from the University of Florida, and now uses that foundation daily to guide students on their journey to math confidence.

Before joining Mathnasium, Ali spent several years working as an office manager for various companies while homeschooling her four daughters — a role that deepened her appreciation for individualized education and student growth.

Ali has always demonstrated a strong commitment to academic achievement and leadership. In high school and college, she was an active member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, FBLA, and served as secretary for Mu Alpha Theta, the national math honor society. She also competed on her church's Bible quiz team, where she earned multiple awards and scholarships.

Ali began her journey with Mathnasium in 2021 as an Instructor. She quickly advanced to Lead Instructor and now serves as Center Director. Her love for children, paired with a deep passion for math, fuels her work each day. She especially enjoys meeting with parents and sharing the exciting news of their children’s progress — not only in math skills, but in confidence and self-belief.

Ali has also held many leadership roles within her church community, including serving as youth group leader and church secretary, working alongside her husband, who served as the youth and associate pastor.

Ali’s belief in the power of education, her compassionate leadership, and her genuine care for each student make her an invaluable part of the Mathnasium family.

Tika

Meet Our Assistant Center Director: Tika
Mathnasium Team Member – Mathnasium of Brandon

Tika is a standout member of the Mathnasium team, bringing with her a rich background in academic achievement, leadership, and STEM education. A graduate of Middleton Magnet High School for Biomedical Sciences, Kartika excelled both inside and outside the classroom. She served as Editor-in-Chief for both the school newspaper and yearbook, demonstrating leadership, creativity, and a strong commitment to student life.

Kartika’s accomplishments include multiple national titles in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Health Occupational Students Association (HOSA), a testament to her drive and excellence in both business and healthcare disciplines. She is also a proud member of the National Honor Society, reflecting her dedication to academic and personal integrity.

She continued her education at Florida State University, where she majored in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Aeronautics and Fluid Dynamics. Her rigorous coursework included Calculus I, II, III, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra — giving her a strong foundation in both theoretical and applied mathematics. While at FSU, she also served as a Learning Assistant for precalculus courses, where she discovered a passion for teaching and mentoring.

At Mathnasium, Kartika brings that same passion to every session. Her goal is to make math accessible, exciting, and empowering for every student. With a calm and encouraging presence, she helps students build both their math skills and their confidence.

Outside of Mathnasium, Kartika enjoys photography, reading, and traveling, all of which bring fresh perspectives and creativity to her work with students.

Kartika’s combination of academic rigor, teaching experience, and genuine care for students makes her a valuable and inspiring member of our team.

Sophia

Sophia is a senior at Bloomingdale High School, where her passion for academics thrives. She has a special love for science and math and is enrolled in various AP and honors courses, which demonstrates her commitment to the subjects. Sophia is involved with the theater club at her school, where she holds a leadership position. She also takes up many opportunities to volunteer with other clubs when possible, where her willingness to help her community shines through. Outside of school clubs, she enjoys painting, creative writing, and spending time with her two little siblings. Sophia’s love for helping others excel in mathematics is clearly shown through her role at the Mathnasium. In her role, she uses her expertise in math to empower students to build their confidence, develop math skills, and understand connections between math and the world around them. Her love for teaching and dedication to success make her a wonderful part of the Mathnasium team.

Kaylee

Kaylee is a junior at the University of Florida majoring in Data Science with a minor in Spanish. She has been passionate about math since a young age, when she skipped a year ahead of the grade track in the subject. At the University of Florida, she is enrolled in a multitude of calculus, statistics, and programming courses maintaining all A’s in each one. Kaylee is involved in several organizations at UF. She is a member of the UF Girls Who Code chapter, and the Data Science and Informatics Club. She is also involved in a research project working with sports analytics – in which she uses her calculus and statistical skills on a weekly basis. In her free time, Kaylee loves to read and go for runs - she has done about twenty 5k’s so far! When she is home from school, she always enjoys hanging out with her friends and family, and her 6 dogs, 5 cats, 3 rats, and 3 gerbils. Kaylee’s role at Mathnasium is very important to her because she enjoys helping others feel more confident in math. Throughout her three years at Mathnasium, she has become very passionate about math and hopes to keep empowering students with the subject. Her unique experience and passion for math makes her a key part of the Mathnasium team.

Bradley

Bradley is a high school student who grew up in California. He has always enjoyed and excelled in math, and Geometry is his favorite by far! He is a big fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in his free time he enjoys Scuba Diving or spending time with friends. Bradley plays volleyball and loves chess! Favorite Number: 22 because it is the number of the Dodgers pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. Favorite Math Joke: What did 0 say to 8? Nice belt. In five years I will be: Graduating college as an aerospace engineer. I love Mathnasium because: I want to help others succeed the same way that I did! I enjoy teaching and seeing concepts click in students' minds, especially when they never thought they would get it!

John

John is a freshman at the Florida Institute of Technology, majoring in Meteorology. He is a recent graduate of Newsome, completing rigorous courses like AP Statistics, AP Precalculus, AP Calculus and other STEM related classes. He was also a member of the Science National Honors Society, Phi Theta Kappa Honors society and more. His dream job is be a weather forecaster for The Weather Channel with a Masters/PhD in Atmospheric Science/Meteorology. He will be taking a plethora of Calculus and Physics classes in his years there. In his free time, John loves playing violin and has a strong passion for music. He has played violin for 8 years and he was the 2nd chair of the highest ensemble in his high school. He also likes going to the gym, hanging with friends and bowling. At Mathnasium, John loves helping students and watching as they grow their math skills and seeing the faces of his students when it finally clicks.

Shealyn

Shealyn is a student at Bloomingdale High School, where she excels as a student and is actively involved in her school. Shealyn’s passion for math has has helped her achieve high scores and advanced math courses during her student career. Shealyn is very involved at Bloomingdale, she plays volleyball at her school, is in Animal Welfare, Key club, and is hoping to be in SGA next year! In her free time Shealyn plays piano, viola, and plays volleyball with friends. Shealyn’s is 3rd in her class and looking forward to moving up! Shealyn has always had a passion for teaching and math and is excited to join the Mathnasium team.

Nathan

Nathan is a student at Bloomingdale Senior High School, where he pursues his interests in computer science and mathematics through game design and advanced math courses. He also participates in multiple extracurricular activities, specifically as an officer in the Bloomingdale Esports club and a member of the Bloomingdale Computer Programming Club and Spanish Honor Society. In his free time, Nathan enjoys playing video games and going to theme parks. Nathan also volunteers at Feeding Tampa Bay and in the tech booth at his church. As a Mathnasium instructor, Nathan is able to help students learn math in a way that makes sense to them, and he is excited to share his love of math with others.

Andrew

Andrew, a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida, with a bachelors of science in mathematics, and before that a graduate and honor student of Bloomingdale High School. In his time at university, he has gained an expert knowledge in a myriad of mathematical topics, including such important topics as calculus, algebra, and how such topics relate to other fields, namely science, engineering, and programing. Passionate about his degree, he has helped many people achieve a better understanding of mathematical topics, and will continue to do so during his time at Mathnasium. In his free time, he enjoys historical European martial arts, and spending time with his brothers. With many years of learning under his belt and a deep love of mathematics, he is excited to help Mathletes learn and understand his chosen field.

Ekaterina

Kat is a junior at Riverview High School, and she is outstanding in academics. Kat is currently enrolled in AP Calculus AB, and various AP classes. She excels in school maintaining a 4.0 GPA and plans to study Software Engineering in college. She likes to swim and create art in her freetime. Kat works at Mathnasium to help kids learn and improve their math skills.

Biraj

Jordi

Jordi, a freshman majoring in Cybersecurity Engineering at Florida Polytechnic University, has developed a strong foundation in mathematics. He has completed rigorous courses in college up to and including Pre-Calculus, Physics, and both Calculus 1 & 2, while maintaining other courses relating to his degree. In his free time, he enjoys working on coding projects, going to the gym, spending time with friends, reading and gardening. At Mathnasium, Jordi channels his love for helping others into helping others enhance their academic skills. His engagement with the subjects on a daily basis and dedication to mentoring students make him an asset to the team, embodying his commitment to academic excellence and service to others.

Riya

Riya is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University

of South Florida. A graduate of Strawberry Crest High School’s IB program, Riya has a strong

foundation in mathematics, having excelled in courses such as IB Math Analysis and

Approaches, which included statistics, calculus, trigonometry, geometry, and algebra. Her

passion for math began early, participating in Math League in middle school, and has since

evolved into a lifelong commitment to academic excellence.

Riya is driven by a desire to help others discover their own potential, both in the classroom and

beyond. As co-founder and vice president of Tutor Bridge, she led tutoring initiatives that helped

over 500 students improve their math skills. She is also passionate about research, having

contributed to the development of a wearable health monitoring device for early health

detection, which was showcased at the Paris Olympics. Her ability to integrate mathematical

concepts with real-world applications is a testament to her versatility as both a student and

mentor.

Outside of academics, Riya is deeply committed to community service. She volunteers at

organizations like Seeds of Hope, MediFutures, where she gains valuable insights into patient

care, and LifePath Hospice, where she provides support and companionship to those in need.

Riya also enjoys sketching, hiking, and writing poetry, which allow her to express her creativity

and maintain a well-rounded lifestyle.

At Mathnasium, Riya brings her academic expertise, leadership skills, and passion for teaching

to help students build confidence and mastery in mathematics. Through her patient,

compassionate approach, Riya strives to inspire students to see the beauty in math and help

them unlock their full potential.

Sophia

Lisa