Meet the Team at Mathnasium of South Pasadena

Bonnie Gu

I went to school at UCLA and I majored in Statistics and Data Science. At Mathnasuim, I love the welcoming environment and the problem-solving we do every day to help students. In my free time, I like to cook and take care of my houseplants. A fun fact about me is that I love nail art and enjoy experimenting with different techniques to turn my nails into tiny works of art.

Jesse De La Roca

I am currently attending CSULB studying for my Bachelor's in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Animation. At Mathnasium, I love creating a safe and welcoming space for young minds all while helping them improve their math skills. My favorite activities include playing video games, roller skating, and doing puzzles. An interesting fact about me is that I know how to 3D model for video games and play D&D campaigns.

Caitlyn Alegria

I am currently attending PCC but I plan to transfer to CSULB. I am majoring in Electrical Engineering. At Mathnasium, I love that each student gets their own customized learning plan that can help and that we focus on learning and not just completing their work. In my free time, I like playing catch, going to Disneyland, and watching TV and movies. An interesting fact about me is that I have two younger sisters, a dog, and a cat.

Joaquin Phillips

I am in my first year at USC, majoring in Astronautical Engineering. I really love talking about math concepts with kids and helping them understand them, while also getting to know kids and their interests. I love math, but I also like playing video games like Valorant, Overwatch, and Dark Souls, and I like sports like volleyball and swimming. I am also double-jointed in my pinky fingers.

Julianne Wong

I am in my second year at USC film school, studying Media Arts and Practice, with a minor in web development. At Mathnasium, I love that even though I'm here to help students, it still feels like I'm spending time with some good friends. My favorite activities include drawing, speedrunning sudoku, video games, cooking, as well as taking blurry pictures of my food and ugly pictures of my cat. I have a fear of animatronics, so going to Disneyland is essentially picking which ride horrifies me the most.

Mateo Cortes

I currently attend Los Angeles College Prep Academy, and I plan to major in psychology in college. At Mathnasuim, I love the fact that everyone leaves here with a smile. It is an incredibly positive environment. In my free time, I like solving Rubik's cubes and jigsaw puzzles, as well as journaling. I also like sports and have played soccer for over 9 years.

Orrin White

I attended Northeastern University, and I am certified in both Mathematics and Physics. I love the congenial atmosphere at Mathnasium. I like whitewater rafting and wilderness conservation, and I used to work on a lobster boat in Maine.

Michelle Han

I majored in Neuroscience at University of Southern California. At Mathnasium, I love the atmosphere of working together with the students and the team. In my free time, I like drawing, watching Minecraft or D&D series, and making self-improvement plans. An interesting fact about me is that I know how to Juggle.

Lucas DuBria

I currently attend Pasadena City College, and I plan to major in Wildlife Biology. I love working at Mathnasium because I love to help others with math and it's a nice and friendly environment. In my free time, I play volleyball and work with animals. I also love to go thrifting. One interesting fact about me is that my elbows are double-jointed.

Jeffrey Han

I attended college at USC, majoring in computer science. At Mathnasium, I love the fact that we focus on helping students understand, instead of just focusing on test scores. In my free time, I like building computers, video games, cars, DIY repair, animation taekwondo, tennis, and soccer. An interesting fact about me is that I replaced my own iPhone screen and battery.

Jacob Johnson

School attended: UC Irvine Major: Mathematics What I love about Mathnasium: I think that the incentives are very good at motivating students and I love that instructors have some freedom to adjust to students’ needs. With Mathnasium since: July 2024 Hobbies and interests: I love playing and watching sports. I also enjoy playing puzzle games such as Sudoku and Crosswords. Interesting fact about me: Before going to UC Irvine for my bachelor’s I attended Glendale Community College for my associate’s. Go Vaqueros!

Austin Tong

I graduated from San Marino High School and plan to major in computer science. At Mathnasium, I love meeting new students and making them enjoy math. In my free time, I love to play card games, board games, and any type of party games. An interesting fact about me is that I love working with statistics.

Adit Gautam

I currently attend Pasadena City College, and I major in Data Science. I love working at Mathnasium because I get to work with our amazing students and help them get better at math. In my free time, I play the drums, hang out with friends, play video games, and code. One interesting fact about me is that I lived in India for 4 years!

Brandon Franco Castro

I currently attend Cal State LA, and I major in mathematics. I love working at Mathnasium because I love to help students understand and enjoy math as much as I do. In my free time, I like to read, play video games, watch movies, listen to podcasts, and make origami. One interesting fact about me is that I am a big fan of Harry Potter.

Michael Owens

I've been on the team since November 2024. At Mathnasium, I love the moment when a student's eyes light up and they get an "Ah Ha" moment when working on a new topic. In my free time, I love to write and play tabletop fantasy games. An interesting thing about me is that I am an eagle scout.

Henry Chang

I attended Bakersfield College. At Mathnasuim, I love how kind and helpful all the instructors are. In my free time, I love reading and watching football.

Nico Mostert

I currently attend La Salle College Prep, and I am currently undecided on what to major. I love working at Mathnasium because I learn something new every day. In my free time, I like to play baseball, video games, and watch TV and movies. One interesting fact about me is that I can speak Dutch.

Alejandra Cermeno

Alejandra graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. Shortly after graduation, Alejandra joined the Mathnasium of Pasadena team as an instructor and advanced her way to Center Director over the course of 3 years. As Education Specialist, she is now in charge of all student learning plans, training of new instructors, and furthering the training of current instructors alongside Xavier, the District Support Specialist.

Andrew Molina

Andrew graduated from the University of San Diego in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. After graduation, he joined the team at Mathnasium of South Pasadena as a Math Instructor. After moving his way up to Lead Instructor and Assistant Center Director, Andrew became the Center Director for the Mathnasium of South Pasadena. Due to the wonderful time he had managing the South Pasadena center over the course of 3 years, Andrew looks forward to his new role as District Manager. As District Manager Andrew will oversee the management of the Mathnasium centers located in Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Marino, and South Pasadena. He is excited to continue to provide top-tier customer service at each Mathnasium location as well as help build his students’ confidence so they can succeed at any goal they set for themselves.

Daniela Mesa

Daniela graduated from the University of Southern California in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Pure Mathematics. She joined the Mathnasium of Pasadena team and served as their Assistant Center Director from 2022 - 2024. As our District Support Specialist, she works with centers in our local district to ensure that we never miss a beat and continue providing only the highest quality math instruction for our students.

Chloe Kim

Chloe graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and completed a minor in Computer Science. She previously served as Assistant Center Director at Mathnasium of South Pasadena from 2023-2024. As District Support Specialist, she works with all our Mathnasium centers to ensure smooth operations and deliver quality service to students and families.