Meet the Team at Mathnasium of West County

Zack Spence

Zack has been an instructor with Mathnasium for five years. Since returning to the Saint Louis Area about a year ago, Zack has been the Assistant Center Director of the West County Location, focusing on making sure that every student has the appropriate material for their sessions.

Working with students at their level has pushed him to learn how to explain topics from the ground up; the simpler the better. Interacting with the students and making their sessions fun and engaging is the goal he strives to meet everyday. Being a part of an enthusiastic team of instructors has made this process all the easier.

There is always more to learn and more to pass on.

Austin Bourdon

Austin comes to us from the Mathnasium of Richmond, Virginia, where he had been with Mathnasium for four years as a lead instructor. He is excited to join the Mathnasium of Kirkwood team. He is passionate about making sure that students are getting the math help that they need and making math make sense. Having worked as a middle school math and science teacher for three years, he understands the importance of math support and enrichment outside of the classroom. In his spare time, Austin enjoyes spending time with his wife and cat, composing music, writing, reading, exercising, teaching music lessons, and gardening. In fact, he can play eight musical instruments!

Austin holds a B.A. from the University of Richmond in Music and a B.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Mathematics with a concentration in Education.

Kaitlin Troy

As Director of Operations, Kaitlin is fueled by her passion for math and desire to make a difference in children’s lives. Kaitlin is responsible for the progress and development of all of our students, administering regular assessments to track improvements, providing frequent progress reports and parent conferences to communicate and align with parents and teachers, and conducting ongoing instructor training to ensure instruction quality. She comes to Mathnasium after several years of teaching in the Parkway School District. Prior to becoming Area Director and Director of Education, Kaitlin was an exemplary Center Director and instructor, blending her math knowledge with a teaching approach that accommodated our many students’ different learning styles and personalities, improving our students’ math confidence as well as their grades.

Kaitlin graduated with a B.A. in Education from Saint Louis University and earned her teaching certification in Math for Grades 1 through 12. She is also Master Certified, the highest level of certification, in the Mathnasium Method and curriculum.

Anton Makalintal

Anton's passion for and proficiency in Math was apparent in grade school, when he was accelerated to doing higher grade level Math. He furthered this passion tutoring grade school, high school, and college-level Math. He is excited to bring the Mathnasium Method to the St. Louis area and to help children develop a "Number Sense" to make them confident problem solvers.

Anton graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a Master's in Business Administration from Santa Clara University. Over the last 22 years, he worked in Research and Development in the semiconductor and data storage industries, developing leading-edge technologies for Fortune 500 companies and bringing them to market. He lives in Wildwood with his wife, Nina, their two daughters, a Maltese-Poodle, Coco, and dwarf hamster, Sparky. Weekends will find the family at the children's soccer games, or exploring neighborhood bike trails and appreciating the native wildlife.

Nina Makalintal

As a full-time mother to her two daughters, Nina became fascinated by the sponge-like nature of a young child's mind, eager and able to learn new things quite easily. Nina worked in the classroom for two years as a parent volunteer, helping teachers with differentiated instruction in Math. Seeing the different learning styles of students in this environment, she realized the need for a place like Mathnasium where students could receive further enrichment and instruction outside of school. Since opening the center several years ago, she has observed first-hand the effectiveness of the Mathnasium program and is grateful for the opportunity to help children in our community.

Nina graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from George Mason University. After graduation, and prior to full-time motherhood, Nina worked 10 years in Business Development in her family's businesses. In her spare time, Nina loves spending time with her family, playing the piano, and writing songs.

Our Instruction Staff

Our staff consists of certified teachers and math graduates. All are highly qualified, experienced, and rigorously trained individuals who must first pass a comprehensive set of verbal and written assessments covering all aspects of mathematics and instruction philosophy before even being considered for a position. Background checks are an essential part of the hiring process as is a "trial run" interaction with the students. Finally, all instructors are required to undergo continuous training. Our staff not only does an excellent job of teaching math, but they create a positive, enthusiastic atmosphere providing the support and encouragement your child may need. All of our instructors are passionate about math and love to work with the kids. They are there to help your child succeed in school and in life. We welcome you to drop by and meet us anytime!