Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Fulshear

Andy Gdala

Andy attended Texas A&M University with a major in Veterinary Sciences and Economics. Andy tutored younger students as well as his peers in science, math, and history and one of the few "PALS" members at Cinco Ranch HS distinguished by academics and disciplinary conduct who introduced incoming freshmen to the school. Andy believes that math is used in every day life, and mastery in math is very important in everyone's future careers. Andy is very passionate about children's education and he thouroughly enjoys teaching at Mathnasium because it helps him share his knowledge with students and hlep them improve their own skills and confidence in math. Andy thinks Mathnasium provides an alternate environment from school where students are more inspired and encouraged to ask question one-on-one that they might not otherwise ask when in a full classroom. In his free time, he likes to spend time with friends, watch documentaries, study history, and keep up with current events.

Marie Machos

Marie is a certified Texas educator with over 25 years of experience in teaching elementary children. She first received her Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M University. Later, she attended Sam Houston State University to earn her Teaching Certification for grades K-8. She loves helping children to understand that math makes sense and is needed in everyday life. she knows that our children are our future and she's excited to be at Mathnasium to help them along their journey. In her free time, Marie loves to travel, read, garden, and spend time with her children & grandchildren.

Darcie Keller

Darcie has been working in the field of education for over 25 years after graduating from Vanderbilt University. She has worked with all ages from the very young to high school students looking to head off college. While Darcie has and does teach all subjects, she has spent the majority of her career supporting students in math. She has a strong back ground working with students with learning differences and special needs and loves to see students make a connection and understand a new skills! She looks forward to making math comes alive for all her new students!

Tapiwa Mlambo

Tapiwa Mlambo is a senior Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Texas at Tyler. He has prior experience teaching music at The Heritage School in Zimbabwe and has been tutoring at Mathnasium since January 2020. Tapiwa works at Mathnasium because he believes a more complete understanding of math can help students unlock a greater understanding of a wide variety of subjects, including but not limited to music, sciences, and engineering. He believes that with the right instruction, anybody can understand even the most abstract math concepts. When Tapiwa isn't at Mathnasium, he is watching soccer, playing soccer, or studying for his next exam.

Dr. Jason Chan

Dr. Chan graduated from a university in China with a Master degree in Mathematics. He then pursued and obtained a Ph.D. in Mathematical and Statistics from the University of Florida. He worked in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech industry for over twenty years and recently retired and moved to the greater Houston area. Having been tutoring his daughter and her peers with math throughout high school and college years, he developed his passion in helping kids learn the fundamentals of Mathematics, including the basis of problem solving skills and how to approach a mathematical problem. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and doing yard work.

Jenifer Suarez

Jenifer is a senior majoring Computer Science at the University of Houston. Throughout her university career, she tutored students at the CASA tutoring center at University of Houston in subjects such as Algebra. She believes patience is key for helping any student understand mathematics. Her goal is to inspire her students to thrive and enjoy even the most complicated types of math. When Jenifer is not happily teaching at Mathnasium, she is hanging out with her dog and spending time with family.

Isabella Decan

Isabella studied Aeronautical Engineering at the Technological University of Panama before moving to Texas. During her studies, she participated in multiple engineering projects that focused on mathematical applications in Aerodynamics and Engineering Design. She is a member of the Women in Engineering section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a global network dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists, and inspiring girls around the world to follow their academic interests in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She understands math can be intimidating to young people, but she is committed to making mathematical thinking something her students can see as approachable, useful, and accessible. Isabella has experience teaching as she tutored fellow students throughout high school and college in subjects like Trigonometry, Calculus, and Differential Equations. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Outside of math, her interests include coding, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and discovering new music.

Jackie Vanzine

Jackie graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Jackie has helped younger students as well as peers develop an expanded comprehension of essential math and science concepts, including two years of active participation in the peer tutoring program at UTD. Jackie believes mathematics is a foundational language in many disciplines and that with patience and determination, everyone can understand the fundamentals at any level with the right translation. Jackie enjoys providing a calm and fun space for learning at Mathnasium so students can confidently challenge and encourage their own understanding, within the classroom and beyond. Outside of helping bright students, Jackie likes cycling, swimming, and creating interactive art.

Mabel Chew

Mabel graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor of Science degree majoring in Mathematics. She went on to do a post graduate studies and got a diploma from the National Institute of Education in Singapore. She has ten years of experience teaching math in a public school in Singapore. She came to Texas in 2008 with her family when her husband was relocated to Houston for work. She is very delighted to teach math again at Mathnasium. This is her passion, her ikigai.

Rafael Lopez

Rafael, who is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish, has a bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. After working some time for software consulting corporations, he now turns his problem solving skills to a new challenge: teaching others how to develop and use critical thinking skills of their own. Although he started by just teaching Algebra to high school students, now Rafael works at Mathnasium of Fulshear to reach students of all ages at all math levels to achieve his goals of making math accessible to everyone. In his free time, Rafael likes to draw, watch cartoons, and study both STEM and linguistics.

Adrian Ramirez

Adrian has a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University. He discovered his passion for tutoring peers while working as a teaching assistant for a microbiology laboratory during his undergraduate studies. He enjoys teaching math as he believes it is the foundation for understanding various subjects, equips ones with strong problem solving skills, and can be applied and used in every aspect of life. Outside of teaching, Adrian loves to stay active by playing basketball, going on walks with his dog, and biking.

Sue Kwon

Sue is a certified Texas educator with over 30 years of experience in teaching. As a math tutor in college, she enjoyed helping middle and high school students develop a solid understanding of fundamental math concepts and skills. Sue graduated with a B. A. in Education in S. Korea and ended her classroom teaching career at a public high school in Houston in the summer of 2006. She is thrilled to expand her desire to teach children beyond the public school system. Sue believes that a solid foundation in math is vital for today's children to succeed in their future endeavors and is excited to introduce Mathnasium to the students in her local neighborhood. She is looking forward to highlighting her students' potentials as well as offering them the opportunity to experience the fun of math and to develop successful problem-solving and critical thinking skills. She continues to learn from people she meets every day of her life.