Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Novato

Kevin Cavanaugh

Kevin grew up in Massachusetts but has lived in Novato for more than 15 years. He graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA with degrees in Applied Math and Operations Research. Recently, he retired from the Coast Guard and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Kevin loves the logic and consistency of mathematics. He enjoys solving problems and helping others find joy in increasing their understanding of math. Kevin is married with two grown children and one granddaughter.

Ann Balliet

Ann graduated from Stanford University with a degree in the Humanities. She started out as a meeting planner but decided to begin a career in education helping kids with mild to moderate learning issues. Ann appreciates how Mathnasium has developed ways to teach number sense as a foundation for higher math skills. She has raised 2 children and has lived in Marin County for 35+ years. In addition to working with students, Ann owns 5 dogs and is an accomplished dog trainer.

Mark Timmerman

Mark is a native of Marin and studied at UC Berkeley. He majored in Mathematics and Classical Languages. Mark worked as a jewelry designer in New York City for places like Tiffany & Co. and taught at Parsons School of Design. He is interested in geology and crystallography, and believes that math is essential not only for science but also for art and design.

Sita Venkataramani

Sita has four decades of experience as a Software Engineer working in various sectors of the industry. He graduated from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology in New Delhi, India from where he received his two degrees, a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Management & Systems. Mathematics has been his favorite subject for as long as he can remember. He sees Mathnasium as a medium to pass on his passion for mathematics to the upcoming generation. He and his wife are longtime residents of Marin, and together they love to read, go on long hikes, and travel the world.

Sneha Yendluri

Sneha is a senior at Marin Academy and has a love for math and science. In past summers, she has attended science courses through the UC Berkely Academic Talent Development Program. Sneha also takes honors math classes and has always enjoyed building her math skills by collaborating with fellow classmates to solve different problems as well as helping others understand concepts. She wants to continue this passion for helping others through tutoring at Mathnasium. Outside of academic classes, Sneha participates in numerous clubs from Women of Color to Yearbook as well as swimming competitively at her high school. When she is not busy with school, she loves to read, watch TV programs and talk with friends.

Noela De Frenza

Noela is a junior at San Marin HS and is in the STEM program. She loves how math can be applied and combined with science, creating her favorite subjects, physics and engineering. As a young child, Noela struggled with math, and, after seeking additional support outside of school, her understanding, mastery, and confidence in her math skills grew and has been in advanced math classes since. Noela approaches teaching with compassion and empathy, seeing the potential she had as a child reflected in her students. In her free time, Noela enjoys cooking, reading, doing Karate, and getting involved with the community!

Vanessa Diaz

Vanessa graduated from San Marin HS and is currently enrolled as an accounting major at Sonoma State University. She has always enjoyed math and loves helping students understand why math works the way it does. Vanessa developed a passion for teaching math when she had to help out her classmates as well as her siblings. During her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends watching shows or playing video games such as Minecraft as well as listening to music.

Duncan McNear

Duncan is a junior at Novato HS and studies digital art as part of the MSA program. He was not always confident about math and used to attend Mathnasium of Novato for support; Duncan built a solid foundation in math and has been in advanced math classes ever since. Now, he is back at Mathnasium helping students learn math as well. Duncan has lived in Novato his whole life and owns a cat and a horse.

Marisa Little

Marisa is a senior at Novato HS and is enrolled in their MSA Dance Program. Math has always been her favorite subject, and she is always ready to offer help to her classmates. Marisa loves seeing how someone can begin to understand a concept through her help. Outside of school, you can find Marisa dancing at Marin Ballet, hanging out with friends, and playing with her pets, a dog and a bunny.

Stella Hatch

Stella is a sophomore at San Marin HS. Math is her favorite subject, and she is currently in an advanced math class. Stella developed an interest in tutoring when she helped her 9-year-old sister with her math homework. She enjoys teaching at Mathnasium because it is so much fun to see her students learn. Stella also enjoys traveling, swimming, and read.

Disha Divakar

Disha is a sophomore at San Marin HS in the biotech program. She is passionate about teaching and helping others. Disha believes in the Mathnasium Method of teaching and is invested in helping students bloom. She loves the outdoors, music, movies and spending time with people!

Giselle Shih

Giselle is a sophomore at San Marin HS. She participated in Mathletes and peer coaching for 3 years at Sinaloa. Giselle loves helping others and working with kids. She believes that every child should have the opportunity to learning especially if it is hard to learn in the classroom. Because Mathnasium helps students do exactly that, she is thrilled to be part of the team!

Nathan Beaudette

Nathan is currently a student at San Marin HS and is in the STEM Marin Engineering Program. He enjoys his accelerated classes and takes math courses over the summer as well. His love for math combined with his fondness for teaching makes his job at Mathnasium fun! Besides his passion for math, he is in a San Rafael A Capella group, the San Marin theatre program, and on the San Marin varsity swim team.

Jay Tahiliani

Jay has a Bachelor's Degree in Literature. She discovered her passion for math when she took some math classes and found herself at the top of the class. Jay is passionate about teaching math to students because this could ignite potential talents in them. Her favorite pastimes are watching math videos and solving math problems!