Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Valencia

Nick van Vliet

Nick graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Finance from Cal State University Northridge. He first joined the Mathnasium team in 2014 after learning about the impact that Mathnasium was making in students' lives. After working as the Center Director in Irvine for 2 years, in Diamond Bar & Phoenix for 5 years, he decided to help serve his home town of Santa Clarita and helps to run 2 centers here. He is committed to creating an encouraging environment where students can build confidence and conquer math while still having fun. His goal is to ensure that students have an effective, engaging, and encouraging learning experience that cultivates an intuitive understanding of math. Nick loves teaching, coaching, and encouraging students to work hard and rise up to their potential. In his spare time he enjoys playing sports, snowboarding, competing in any game known to man, bbqs, and reading.

Enoch

Enoch is currently a freshman attending College of the Canyons. He is majoring in nursing and wants to pursue becoming a nurse anesthetist. Enoch enjoys being able to help kids understand concepts of math because he loves to see their brains light up when they understand what has been puzzling them for such a long time and how they can use these ideas in real life. Outside of school and work, he likes to longboard, listen to music, drink milkshakes, hang out with friends, jam on his drumset, and play basketball.

Rachel

Rachel is a current junior at Academy of the Canyons Middle College High School. While she completes her high school courses, she is considering a career path in teaching or physical therapy. Rachel loves teaching math to students her age and younger; she tutors at her school for Algebra 2, alongside teaching at Mathnasium. Rachel enjoys working with kids and loves watching the students she works with find community and develop confidence in their ability to learn at Mathnasium. During her free time, Rachel enjoys rollerblading, watching One Piece, and spending time with her dog, family, and friends.

Leslie

Leslie is currently finishing up her last year at Hart High School. Passionate about science and math, Leslie is considering majoring in aerospace engineering and wants to become an engineer. Leslie finds joy in seeing the kids at Mathnasium excited to show up for their sessions and feels happy whenever she sees them succeed at something that had been troubling them. In her spare time, Leslie loves chatting with her friends, diving into a good book, and starting new crochet projects!

Ross

Ross is a current junior at Hart High School, planning to pursue a career in engineering and aiming to attend either Cal Poly or a UC. He plays on the Hart Varsity Tennis team and enjoys competing with his teammates and friends. In his free time, Ross loves hiking and exploring different types of music.

Albert

Albert Zheng is a current dual-enrolled senior at Academy of the Canyons and College of the Canyons. With a love for finding hidden connections and telling stories through data, he plans on majoring in data science/statistics. Albert enjoys teaching math to students of all ages and witnessing how each student thinks in a different way. He also finds value in approaching math in an engaging and fun way to encourage kids to explore STEM. In his free time, Albert likes to develop web applications, listen to jazz-soul fusion, and explore online rabbit holes.

Ali

Ali is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where they also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Passionate about education, Ali teaches robotics to kids and math to college students, finding joy in helping others discover their potential. Aspiring to become a Software Engineer, Ali aims to build innovative solutions that make a meaningful impact in Education and Biology. Beyond academics, they continue to embrace their competitive spirit by participating in Call of Duty esports. As the former captain of UCI’s Division 1 collegiate team, Ali led with strategy, teamwork, and determination. In his downtime, Ali enjoys combining their love for technology, problem-solving, and gaming with their desire to make a difference, both in the digital world and the real one.

Luke Hartung

Luke is graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Management from Grand Canyon University. In his previous experience, he helped connect families with programs and resources while working for the city of Santa Clarita’s parks and recreation department. He was also an enrollment coordinator for a child care company. Luke loves helping children to understand new concepts and to overcome challenges, and is thrilled to have that opportunity at Mathnasium. Luke loves Santa Clarita and looks forward to helping students in the community to learn and master math and to grow in their confidence. He strives to make Mathnasium a place where students are warmly welcomed and given the individual instruction and support they need to succeed. He loves spending his spare time gardening, going to the beach, and hiking the beautiful Southern California mountains.

Sherin Yueksel

Sherin graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics. She first started at Mathnasium as an instructor in 2021. She was quickly promoted to Assistant Director and even helped establish additional Mathnasium centers. Sherin has pursued a career at Mathnasium because she wants to make an impact in her community and she wants to help as many students as possible. She is passionate about creating a welcoming environment where every student feels comfortable, confident, and can strive for excellence. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, shopping, and making new recipes.