Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Short Pump

Blue Constable

Blue has always excelled in math, often joking that by 11th grade their school had run out of math to teach them. After briefly attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Blue pursued a general bachelor's degree at Evergreen State College Tacoma. It was there, while helping classmates with their math work, that Blue first considered tutoring as a career. Before joining Mathnasium, Blue worked in building maintenance, where the importance of effective team communication became clear. Mathnasium is a perfect fit for Blue, who believes in the importance of personalized math education to help students avoid frustration and succeed at their own pace. Outside of Mathnasium, Blue loves creating art in various mediums, and enjoys writing short stories and poetry.

Zach Hitzeroth

Zach holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Grinnell College (2019) and comes to us with a rich academic background. He contributed as a grader for Calculus 1 and 2 during his two-year tenure at Grinnell and later served as a teaching assistant in the mathematics department at Northern Illinois University for a year. With aprior experience as both an instructor and Education Coordinator at Mathnasium, Zach found his calling as an Assistant Center Director, sharing his deep mathematical expertise and passion for teaching. Outside the realm of numbers, he thrives in the world of board games and tabletop roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder 2e. Zach's creativity extends to crafting plushies, including penguins, bees, dinosaurs, and even a ham shank!

Austin Darnell

Austin, who holds a degree in Mathematics from James Madison University, joined Mathnasium in 2019 due to his strong enthusiasm for math and education. He has served as Center Director for multiple Mathnasium locations, and is excited to now be leading the team as an Area Manager! While at JMU, Austin minored in film studies and when he’s not in the center, Austin explores his interests in film making, podcasts, and reading.

Ben Bramsen

Ben got his start in education while volunteering at the Indianapolis Zoo with marine animals such as walruses -- which he regards as the best animals in the animal kingdom! Answering questions posed about the animals and what could be done to help the environment piqued his interest in other forms of education. He appreciates that at Mathnasium you can see the progression and positive impact on students’ lives each day. In his free time, Ben can be found playing guitar (although rather poorly he admits readily), spending time in nature, and exploring new places!

Nicki Atwood

Nicki hails from Baltimore and studied Physics and Chemistry at University of Richmond. While working with students in college, she noticed that many times students are held back because of a gap in their educational foundation and that drew her to Mathnasium’s unique approach. When not at Mathnasium, Nicki loves to visit different cities and hang out with her cat. In fact, she loves pets of all shapes and sizes, and has had many different types of pets, including a dog, a mouse, a rabbit, and even a hedgehog!

James Temple

James developed a passion for and proficiency with Mathematics during his middle and high school years. In 2000, James graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Mathematics and a love for solving all types of problems. He took those skills into the United States Air Force where he served for 7 years as an aircraft maintenance officer. It was during these years that James had the opportunity to tutor home schooled children and really started to appreciate the frustration that many kids feel towards Mathematics. James left the Air Force in 2007 to go back to the University of Virginia where he received his Master's of Business Administration degree from the Darden School of Business.