Our Team at Mathnasium of University Irvine

Joshua Villalpando

Joshua is pursuing his Mathematics degree at Cal State Long Beach, driven by a passion for geometry and structure that began in childhood. He has experience in robotics and Computer-Aided Design, and he enjoys helping students overcome challenges just as he’s done in his own math journey. 

His favorite number is 5, representing balance and symmetry. When not teaching or studying, Joshua enjoys playing the piano, golfing, and racquetball. He brings both heart and experience to Mathnasium, creating a space where students are encouraged to grow through support and understanding.

Ethan Kosaki

Ethan Kosaki is a student at UC Irvine and is pursuing Computer Science and Business Management. With a long-standing interest in both technology and business development, Ethan aims to integrate these fields to develop innovative solutions in tech-driven industries. Ethan is also the co-founder of a nonprofit organization that has hosted events for more than a thousand high school and college students around the world. Through his volunteer, nonprofit, and tutoring experience, Ethan has taught classes in math, animation, and web development to students of all ages and experience levels. In addition to academics, Ethan enjoys playing basketball and loves watching Formula 1 races.

Yzabella Reyes

Yzabella Reyes is a 3rd year student at UC Irvine majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Throughout her academic career, Yzabella has enjoyed learning about new mathematics concepts and their applications in the world, which inspired her to pursue an career in engineering. She hopes to help other students recognize their potential in mathematics and grow their passion. In addition to math, Yzabella has technical experience in robotics, computer-aided design, and 3D printing. Aside from math, Yzabella also enjoys journaling and fishing. Favorite Number: 27. Fun Fact: She collects Popmart figurines.

Sanika Patwardhan

My name is Sanika Patwardhan, and I'm currently studying Business Administration at UCI, I enjoy teaching at Mathnasium because I want to make math not just understandable, but also enjoyable for everyone. My academic journey in high school was quite successful; I had a 4.6 GPA and completed nine AP courses. Outside of school, I love expressing myself through painting, drawing, and other art forms. I also enjoy spending time at the beach, listening to music, taking scenic drives, and hanging out with friends. I’ve also been involved in various volunteer activities, such as tutoring at Heritage Park Library and serving as a Junior Instructor of martial arts, as well as a board member of a club. These roles, as well as being Editor in my high school’s Yearbook class, helped me develop leadership and organizational skills. I’ve studied math at an advanced level, including AP Calculus AB, and I find math fascinating because it’s based on logic and serves as a universal language that brings people together. I believe that contributing to others' growth and success is incredibly rewarding, and I strive to make a positive impact through teaching, volunteering, and leading.

Rajit Swarup

Rajit is a Computer Science Major aiming to become a Cyber Security Professional and has been with us since 2015 as a mathlete and now as a math instructor and Core Team member. Rajit joined the Mathnasium team to share his love of math and to help other mathletes gain important skills and knowledge essential to become an effective student and to grow to love math. The reason kids grow to hate math is clear to him. He aims to push students to understand the problem and encourage them to learn from their mistakes and excel while having fun along the way. He has also played water polo during high school and taught kids how to swim. During his free time, he likes to draw on his sketchbook and digital drawing tablet.

Ayushi Gupta

Ayushi Gupta is a 3rd year Business and Informatics major at UCI. She has been passionate about math and finance ever since she was little and previously had her own private tutoring business. She's worked with students from all across the spectrum ranging from elementary math all the way up to Calculus. She enjoys leveraging her math abilities to be able to make data centric decisions in many of her school activities, internships, and projects. Favorite Number: 7. Fun Fact: I played competitive club soccer and track growing up! 

Justin Nguyen

Justin Nguyen is a UCI first-year student pursuing a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.  Math has always been a strong subject for Justin ever since elementary school, so he decided to join Mathnasium to help younger students with the subject.  He enjoys it when he does a good job teaching or explaining a math concept or problem, so that the student understands it and likes the subject more.  Moving away from math, Justin is also interested in topics like geography, navigation, traffic flow, traffic control, road design, airport design, and anything transportation-related.  Those interests play a major role in why he aspires to be an air traffic controller for his career in the future.  His hobbies include hanging out with his friends, watching TV shows, traveling to explore new places, as well as reading articles and watching videos on his interested topics mentioned earlier.  

Thalia Nguyen-Khoa

Thalia is a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts in the Instrumental Music conservatory. A passionate educator, Thalia has years of experience volunteering with kids of all ages and backgrounds. In the past, she has led music classes teaching violin to young students, as well as hosted accessible art workshops for youth with disabilities. At school, she is an active Peer Tutor and president of a club supporting children impacted by critical illness. Math is one of Thalia’s favorite subjects because of how many interesting, complex topics there are, as well as its extensive applications in many fields. Her passion for math has led Thalia to excel in several math courses, including AP Calculus BC and currently, AP Statistics. She began teaching at Mathnasium to foster confidence in students and empower them to achieve their math goals. In her free time, Thalia enjoys doing calligraphy, playing violin, and writing.

Mia Ffolkes

Ajay Shah

Ajay Shah is a senior at Irvine High School currently planning to attend Stanford University for computer science. From a young age, Ajay had loved the fulfillment in solving complex equations, so he decided to pursue computer science in hopes of one day making his own algorithms. Ajay enjoys the satisfaction of helping his classmates understand mathematical concepts and even relied on his other classmates for help with his own struggles in math classes, so he understands the value of extracurricular instruction for young students. Aside from mathematics, Justin also enjoys playing soccer and volleyball. Favorite Number: 9. Fun Fact: He operates a small Non-Profit.