Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Oak Park/ River Forest

Joe Pickering

Joe graduated from OPRF in 2018. While there, he developed a love for mathematics, completing courses through Calculus 3. He then went on to combine that with a passion for sports to attend Syracuse University where he would study Sport Analytics. While at Syracuse, Joe had the opportunity to assist both the XFL and Syracuse University Ticket Office in the field of data analytics. Joe hopes to one day work for a professional sports team as an analyst. In the meantime he thoroughly enjoys tutoring, and has worked with ages from elementary school through college kids. Fun Fact: Joe has played soccer his entire life!

Jordy Pinero

Jordy is a student at Triton College and graduated from East Leyden High School. He is a member of the Scholars Program at Triton College, where academically talented students are granted full ride scholarships. He is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science and plans to transfer to UIC to eventually become a software engineer. At East Leyden, he took math classes all the way up to Calculus AB/BC and helped students write their essay assignments as a peer tutor. But his experience as a tutor began much earlier, as he has helped his little sister with her math homework all the way up to the sixth grade. His favorite hobbies include cooking, going to the gym, and watching anime. Fun Fact: Jordy was selected by the staff at East Leyden to be the speaker for the graduation ceremony!

Charles Wilson

Charles, a graduate of Fenwick High School, is currently an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis pursuing his Bachelor’s in Applied Sciences of Chemical Engineering. Charles has always shown strong interests in science and math, which he credits to his lively teachers, professors, scholarly mentors, and friends. He has always enjoyed learning and explaining math, chemistry, and physics in casual settings between others and himself. Experience as a HighSight scholar who scored 30-32 composite ACT scores, a student amongst confused collegiate peers, and an older brother to an 11 year old sister has shown him first hand the difference an involved collaborator outside the classroom can make. Charles is enthusiastic to bring his style of that change to the OPRF Mathnasium team. Fun Fact: Charles has sung in multiple performances of the Nutcracker with the Joffrey Ballet!

David

David is a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he studied mechanical engineering and physics. David's love for STEM started with his Lego robotics team in middle school. He then did Vex robotics in high school and went to the world championships twice! He also plays the drums and loves rock, metal, and swing music. David uses math every day, and thinks that mental math makes everything in life easier. David loved helping his classmates and friends with calculus, chemistry, and physics, and hopes he can help students at Mathnasium too. Fun Fact: David collects Runik's cube puzzles and can solve a 7-layer Rubik's cube!

Paisley

Paisley is currently a senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She is taking Stats, and has previously taken Pre Calculus and AP Calculus AB/BC! As a student who received tutoring at Mathnasium in middle school, Mathnasium has helped her gain confidence not only with math, but also with other activities. She loves how math has many applications and is relevant to her everyday life. Her favorite subjects in school are French, history, and, of course, math. Fun Fact: In her free time, Paisley sings, practices piano and guitar, travels, and takes karate classes!

Porter

Porter is a Senior at Oak Park River Forest High School. He is currently taking Statistics and Calculus 3 and has taken Linear Algebra, Calculus AB/BC, Pre-Calc A, Advanced Algebra A, Geometry.He loves math, and credits it to his favorite teacher in elementary school fostering his love, and the Percy Julian Middle School Math Team for showing him how fun the intricacies of math can be to solve. His interest in education was sparked during quarantine, when he helped to tutor his friend who was trouble understanding online classes. He also has a passion for music. He played piano and percussion, but performance is currently on the back burner for him so he can focus on his other interests. In his free time, he loves spending time playing video games with his friends and listening to music. He is excited for this opportunity to explore both math and education and is ready to bring what he has to Mathnasium. Fun fact: He is the Oralist on the OPRFHS Math Team

Hayden

Hayden is a senior at OPRF High School. His favorite subject is math, but he loves the STEM field in general. He is currently taking and loving both Calculus III and AP Chemistry. His favorite hobbies are Dungeons & Dragons and rock climbing, but he's always open to trying new things and getting to learn something new. He's also a member of his school's math team, which he's done every year since 6th grade. Hayden has been playing the piano for 12 years, and been to multiple piano camps, so he's no stranger to lots of practicing. He's excited to work at Mathnasium because math is not just one of the most important things subjects, but also the most beautiful, and he wants to share that beauty with the next generation of mathematicians. Fun fact: Hayden's favorite composer to play on the piano is Chopin!

Alejandro

Alejandro is a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. He is currently taking AP Calculus AB/BC, and has taken Geometry, Algebra, and Honors Pre-Calculus. Next year, he will be taking Calculus 3/Linear Algebra. Alejandro appreciates math for its daily applications, as well as the incredible number of ways in which a problem can be solved. His favorite subject are Spanish, Chemistry, and Math. Alejandro plays viola and competes in OPRFHS’s Speech Team, receiving the Degree of Distinction from the National Speech & Debate Association. He enjoys playing volleyball, as well as acting. He is a captain of OPRF’s Noteworthy , and a member of Psychology Club. Alejandro is excited to help students fall in love with math. Fun Fact: Alejandro is obsessed with playing Sudoku!

Jackie

Jackie is a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She is currently taking calculus, and looks forward to taking statistics and calculus 3 next year. Jackie has always loved math because there are so many different ways to solve a problem. Her favorite subjects in school are psychology and of course, math. Outside of school, she enjoys playing competitive soccer as a goalie and has been playing piano for 12 years. Jackie also loves coaching kids ages 4 through 8 for her local soccer club. Fun fact: Jackie loves traveling and wants to get to at least 50 countries in her lifetime!

Paloma

Paloma is almost finished with her junior at Oak Park and River Forest High school. She is currently taking AP Calculus AB/BC and loves it! She is excited to take AP Physics Calculus next year. She plans to pursued a career in aerospace engineering, hopefully working at NASA one day. Paloma loves being a leader: she was captain of the soccer team at OPRF where she also started Italian club and is currently president. Her favorite class has always been math, and she is so excited to work with kids and hopefully to make math class their favorite too. Fun Fact: Paloma loves music and plays the lead guitar in an alternative rock band!

Kezia

Kezia graduated from J.S. Morton West high school in 2021 and is currently an undergraduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology where she is majoring in Architectural Engineering. She believes learning anything is possible and avidly searches for more information and works of art to inspire and invigorate her in her quest. Kezia is currently teaching herself how to work with Tekla Structures and is hoping to learn Python(only knows MatLab so far). She enjoys plein air painting as well, as it provides valuable insight on the world around her and she attempts to capture it with a series of gouache paintings. Kezia has worked at the North Berwyn Park District as a summer camp counselor and enjoys working with children. She loves working through the puzzles in math and learning more about the various applications in engineering, and is eager to help others discover how amazing math can be. In her free time, Kezia loves listening to music, making ceramics at a local studio, and playing with the family dogs(3!!). Fun fact: Kezia is currently working on invading her parent’s backyard garden with summer squash!

Gracie

Gracie is currently a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She loves math, both as a subject and a concept. Gracie is currently taking AP Calculus AB/BC and is excited to take Calc 3 next year. She loves to help others learn while also extending her own knowledge. Gracie looks forward to using her skills and understanding to help others thrive to their best ability. Fun Fact: Gracie's favorite game is Monopoly

Colin

Colin is a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School. Colin has already taken Advanced Algebra A, Pre-Calculus A, and Statistics, and is excited to take Computer Science and Calculus AB/BC this year. His favorite subject is math because of the many ways to reach one solution, and the satisfaction of completing a problem. Colin hopes to pursue a career in math after high school. He hopes to share his love for math with Mathnasium students and show them how fun math can be. Outside of school, he enjoys playing for the OPRF hockey team, attending OPRF's Best Buddies and Spanish Clubs, and caddying at the Oak Park Country Club in the summertime. Fun Fact: Colin has played the piano for eight years!

Sophie

Sophie is currently a Junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She has taken Geometry, Advanced Algebra and Pre-Calculus and is taking Calculus AB/BC this year. Sophie’s favorite subject is math, and she would like to major in Mathematics or Economics in college. Sophie is a part of the Tennis and Lacrosse teams at OPRF, as well as the Women in Leadership club. Sophie loves music and has been taking piano lessons since she was four. During her free time, she enjoys reading and likes to bake with friends. Fun Fact: Sophie loves swimming in the ocean, and hopes to one day swim with dolphins!

Payton

Payton is a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School. He is currently taking Statistics after finishing Calculus AB his junior year. As the oldest of four siblings, he has developed a passion for teaching and plans to pursue Secondary Education in college. Payton loves to watch movies/tv, go out with friends, and travel to new places. At Mathnasium, Payton looks forward to cultivating the strengths of students while also gaining firsthand experience with educating. Fun Fact: Payton loves to collect sneakers, with his favorite being the Jordan 1!

Eunice

Eunice is a senior at Proviso Math and Science Academy where she has taken all Honors level math and is now taking AP Calculus BC. There, she is President of the National Honors Society, Director of cultural showcases, and Co-Founder of the Acapella club. Her love for seeing the practical applications of math and science has prompted Eunice to pursue a career as a Physician’s Associate, but she enjoys working with kids and hopes to inspire that same love for STEM in them. Outside of school, she enjoys the arts and is heavily involved in vocal performance and piano. Fun fact: Eunice can fluently speak Mandarin!

Livy

Livy is a senior at Oak Park River Forest High school where she currently taking calculus. Livy’s favorite subjects are math and physics and she plans on studying engineering in college. She has played lacrosse for her high school for four years now. She is also a part of the Women in STEM club, Student Council, Environmental club, and Huskies for Hope. Livy loves to read and listen to music in her free time. She loves math because of how universal it is across different subjects. She hopes to transfer some of her passion for STEM to the children she tutors. Fun Fact: Livy’s favorite animal is an otter! She travelled to Alaska over the summer and got to see them.

Samuel

Samuel is currently a student at Triton College and graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School. He plans to graduate with an Associate's in Arts and then transfer to a four-year university program to complete a bachelor's degree in creative writing. At OPRFHS, Samuel took several math classes all the way to AP statistics and participated on the Oak Park River Forest math team. He has a ton of experience with tutoring such as when he tutored children on the Spanish language in a daycare he worked at, taught children how to swim with the Park District of Oak Park, and taught his fellow classmates how to write effective stories and essays in his creative writing club which he founded and runs. His hobbies include writing, filmmaking, making music, and reading. Fun fact: Sam has been to Colombia over eight times!

Angel

Angel is currently studying music at Triton College. He's still looking for his dream school after his associate's degree. Angel has taken several math classes, including college level calculus. He also has 3 years of teaching experience, and was a lifeguard before joining this team. Angel was in theater, choir, and a math team. Currently, his latest obsession is crocheting. Fun Fact: Angel is learning how to speak Arabic!

Ava

Ava is currently a Junior at Oak Park River Forest High School. She has taken Geometry, Advanced Algebra and Pre Calculus. Ava’s favorite subject is math because there is always more to build on and expand from. Ava wants to major in finance or economics in college. She is part of the cross country and lacrosse team at her high school. She is also part of Women in Leadership and Model UN. Ava has played clarinet since 4th grade and plans to continue through the rest of high school. During her free time, Ava enjoys spending time with friends, working out, and reading. Fun Fact: Ava’s favorite animal is an elephant!

Paul

Paul graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in June 2003 and from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's in Classical Languages in December 2006. While in high school he studied calculus at the Advanced Placement level and achieved a high enough score on the AP exam to place out of the math requirement in college. He sees the value of math in everyday life and enjoys sharing that point of view with others. He has worked as a substitute teacher from 2015 to 2020 for a variety of grade levels and subjects, but the subject that he most enjoys helping students learn is math. Fun fact: Paul enjoys playing a variety of roleplaying games, both on the computer and on the tabletop!

Will

Will is currently a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High school. Will has always had and developed a love for math at a very young age. Math has always been his favorite subject and he has been placed into advanced math classes since elementary school. Will is currently working on completing the AP Calculus AB/BC course. Will has always enjoyed teaching and helping out fellow classmates with math related problems. Will is also a part of the soccer community in Oak Park and has been playing the sport for over 8 years now. Fun Fact: Will has previously played the flute for a total of over 5 years of experience!

Eliza

Eliza is a senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She has taken AP Calculus AB/BC, Linear Algebra, and Calculus III and she is currently taking AP Statistics. Math has always been Eliza’s favorite subject and she is excited to share her love of math with others! Eliza does many different styles of dance, like tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. Additionally, she dances and choreographs for OPRF’s Orchesis dance company. She finds that an understanding of math helps with her comprehension of music which makes it easier to choreograph. Eliza also has experience teaching dance to kids and working as a camp counselor with the Park District of Oak Park. Fun fact: Eliza has a record player and has amassed a collection of over 50 vinyl records!

Isabel

Isabel is a current junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. They are currently taking AP Calculus AB/BC and are looking forward to taking AP Statistics and AP Computer Science next year. They are currently planning on majoring in mathematics in college and are hoping to continue teaching math in some way. Isabel is a part of the varsity ultimate frisbee team at OPRF and is also an involved member of the boxing club. In their free time Isabel likes to practice piano (a hobby they have had for over 10 years) and participates in recitals twice a year. Fun Fact: Isabel can solve a Rubik's cube in under 3 minutes!

Thomas

Thomas is a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School where he plays football as a center and long snapper. Thomas has been interested in math since his elementary school Lego robotics summer camp. He is currently taking Pre-calculus and has completed Algebra 2 and Geometry. Thomas also loves sharing his passion for math and science. He thinks that math makes it easier to understand the world around you and helps in many other aspects of life. When Thomas graduates, he wants to become a mechanical engineer and keep the world moving with math. In his free time Thomas like to play sports, go to the gym, and hang out with his friends. Fun Fact: Thomas has 47 cousins and 14 biological aunts and uncles!

Sophia

Sophia attends Oak Park and River Forest High School. With completed courses in Geometry, Advanced Algebra, and Pre-Calculus, she is currently tackling AP Calculus AB/BC. Sophia finds joy in the logical nature of math, especially when she can apply it to her interests in music and economics. She is passionate about bringing literacy to kids in need, and leads a charity that provides free books to underprivileged children. At OPRF, Sophia competes in Math Team, Model UN, and DECA. She also writes for the school newspaper. Outside of the school community, she can be found practicing piano, playing pickleball, or spending time with friends. Fun fact: Sophia loves to sing karaoke (but is not very good)!