Meet the Team at Mathnasium of West El Paso

Adolfo Flores III

Hello, my name is Adolfo Flores III. I am born and raised here in El Paso Texas. I am a UTEP graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science. I have always had a talent for understanding math and helping others understand it since high school and even worked as a Lab Instructor in El Paso Community College. My interests include playing games and watching animated shows which have inspired my pursuit of knowledge in the entertainment industry, learning computer programming and graphical design. I hope to someday make my own games and even an animated television show. Taking all my ideas, and putting them on a screen and seeing them in motion. It is my dream to be a part of the talented people who can create their own worlds.

Trinity Letuli

My name is Trinity Letuli, I was born and raised her in El Paso, Texas. I am currently a sophomore at UT Austin, studying Bio-Med in pursuit of becoming a physician. I graduated in 2020 in the top 1% of my class at Franklin High School and participated in a number of extracurriculars including the STEAM medical physicians preceptorship and the girls varsity track team. My greatest passion is giving back and ws able to do so through my role of Key Club president at Franklin, in which I was constantly working on service projects throughout the community. I have always found math to be the universal language and have been able to create connections with others through it. I hope to encourage and inspire students in their math skills, as well as help them to gain confidence in doing so.

Iris Troche

Hello, I am Iris Troche. I grew up in up in Montana on a wheat farm owned by my family. Growing up on the farm was not only an adventure but also involved a lot of math! This was where my passion for teaching and a love for working with youth started. I attended the University of Nebraska and received a Bachelors of Science in Education. Shortly following graduation, life changed and I spent the next 20 years raising my 5 children with my husband, El Paso Attorney, Joe Troche. All 5 children attended the EPISD schools and over the years, we did a lot of homework! Our favorites were math and all the fun science projects we competed with through the years. I entered the workforce as a 5th grade educator at a private Christian school where I taught all curriculum for many years. It was a blessing to see satisfied parents and students who love school! I was the Science Chairman for our school, and every year also the ACSI Science Chairman for private schools across the city, which was held at the Sunland Park Mall. In addition to my role with Mathnasium, I substitute teach in the Canutillo ISD for various grades and needs. On Sundays I am a part of the music team (keyboard) at WCC. I serve as an election judge and stay involved with community events. It is a real privilege to study math with the smart students at Mathnasium and I look forward to meeting more awesome math students!

Barbara Chessa

Hello, My name is Barbara Chessa, and I am happy to be part of the amazing team at Mathnasium. A long time ago I got a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. That opened doors of opportunity so I could do creative product design, which was something I had always wanted to do. It thrilled me to see ideas become transformed into actual working products, and then to see people using those products. When my husband and I relocated to El Paso, I took “time off” to be with our young kids. Volunteering to be a soccer coach, which was really like being a soccer teacher, I discovered a passion for teaching. I started an afterschool science course at our kids’ school and became fascinated by how kids learn – and how to make learning fun. Teaching at various other venues for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education led me to pursue my Alternative Teaching Certification. As part of that training, I taught Geometry and Precalculus for a semester at a local public high school. Partly why I chose to focus on teaching math is that my husband, an engineering professor at UTEP, sees that many of his incoming students lack a decent understanding of it, which affects their chances for academic success. I have always had a strong appreciation of math’s relevance to not only engineering but also to the world, since if you choose to see it, it is everywhere. I think the way students become good at math is similar to how kids become good at soccer. To learn soccer, the more “touches” a player has with the ball, the better the player becomes. Likewise, the more practice a student has doing math, the better the student. Mathnasium is all about meaningful practice in a supportive environment. I am proud to be a part of each student’s journey, so that ultimately, more doors of opportunity will be open for them, just as they were for me.

Stephen Molina

Hi there! My name is Stephen Molina! I grew up here in El Paso, TX and am currently set on a course to become an actuary! The actuarial world is difficult to enter! It combines probability, statistics, and advanced business concepts to help businesses predict their next best move, and it’ll be my job to make sure every cent spent is well worth it! I am a graduate of Mathematics from UTEP, and have a Master's degree in Statistics. Math has been my strongest suit ever since I was in middle school, and I think I’ve always known it was my gateway to success. In 2005, I joined my middle school’s math team, and we went to state 3 years in a row, one of which I placed 2nd individually. In my experience, the only things that have ever made sense in life are math and music, and I’ve always felt like it’s my responsibility to actively challenge myself in these areas and help out any others along the way. I love tutoring students in math! It hardly feels like a job, but rather, an opportunity to help struggling students find their footing and their inner drive to pursue higher education, and Mathnasium has welcomed me in with open arms! It’s an honor to be here! Thanks, Stephen

Ela Aldrete

Hi, my name is Ela Aldrete. I am currently a freshman at the University of Arizona studying Civil Engineering. I recently graduated from El Paso High School. I have taken many AP classes throughout my 4 years of high school including Calculus BC and Statistics this year. I am on the varsity soccer team and I love being outdoors. I plan to attend the University of Arizona and study Civil Engineering. Math has always been my favorite subject and I believe once students get the hang of it, it could also be their’s. I’m very excited to work with students to get a better understanding of math and practice their skills.

Kevin Mata

Hi! I am Kevin Mata, I was born in El Paso, Texas, but I was raised in Ciudad Juarez. I am currently a freshman at UTEP studying Mechanical Engineering. I graduated from El Paso High School where I was part of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and varsity soccer, and I love math. I feel honored to be a part of the Mathnasium team and I hope I can change many students’ lives by teaching them how to fall in love with learning. I am extremely grateful for all the people that have been involved in my academic success and I use them as an example in order to pay back what they have given me.

Anna Dixon

Hi! My name is Anna Dixon and I'm so excited to be a part of the Mathnasium team! I moved to El Paso about a year ago and I am currently a senior at Franklin High School. I keep busy with Student Council, NHS, DECA, and hanging out with friends! After high school, I plan on studying engineering and applied physics. Math has always been my favorite subject and I have taken every math class available at my school. I love the challenge of a puzzle and the satisfaction of decoding an equation. I want to share this love and inspire the mathematicians of tomorrow.

Logan Armendariz

Hello, My name is Logan Armendariz. I am currently in my 2nd year at UTEP studying Computer Science. I also do a little bit of research with my University dealing with Neural Networks for computers. In my free time I like to play piano, code, play video games, and practice Jiu Jitsu. One thing I enjoy about working at Mathnasium is that I truly feel like I'm making a difference in people's lives.

Daniel Bernal

Hello, My name is Daniel Bernal. I am El Paso born and raised, apart from a few years growing up in Ciudad Juarez, and am thrilled to be part of Mathnasium! I graduated from Eastwood High School in 2017 and graduated from Furman University in 2021 with a Bachelor's in Sustainability Science and concentration in Applied Mathematics. Currently, I am pursuing a Master's in Industrial Engineering at UTEP and hope to use my education and skills to implement and improve strategies to mitigate climate change. Additionally, I ran cross country and track at the collegiate level (still am at UTEP). I believe math to be a critical skill that when mastered, can open countless opportunities anywhere! I don't believe anyone is 'bad' at math, but rather thinks of math a little differently and requires careful attention and instruction to get those math skills churning through awesome problems soon!

Matthew Anderson

Hi! I’m Matthew Anderson. I was born in Plainview, Texas before moving to El Paso at age four. In the eighth grade my family moved to Lubbock where I attended Frenship High School, where I was a member of the robotics and UIL Math team, as well as the baseball team. After graduating, I attended Texas Tech University, majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Physics. In my free time I enjoy playing disc golf, and going to baseball games- go Chihuahuas! I’ve always been passionate about Mathematics and the Sciences, and hope to instill that passion in your child! Thanks, Matt