Our Team at Mathnasium of Almaden

David Krull

David Krull earned his bachelor's degree in Physics from UC Davis and has taught math and nuclear physics for the U.S. Navy, as well as software and technical training in Silicon Valley. He also ran a web design firm and continues to consult in software and custom woodworking. 

David enjoys sharing his love of math and science, especially when students experience that "aha!" moment. Outside Mathnasium, he’s a beekeeper, falconer, and devoted community volunteer. His favorite number is 1/7 for its fascinating decimal pattern, and his favorite math joke involves binary code. 

Cuong

Cuong holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics for Secondary School from UC Riverside. He values the precision and logic of math, and he loves sharing his passion with others by making concepts approachable and fun. 

Cuong encourages students to explore multiple ways of solving problems and brings a positive, energetic presence to the center. He volunteers as an Assistant Cubmaster and enjoys camping, movies, and spending time with family. His favorite number is 16, and he believes being “weird” is a wonderful quality that keeps life interesting. 

Sandy

Sandy earned his master's degree in Applied Mathematics from Caltech and spent 37 years in computer disk drive development, holding over 25 U.S. patents. He brings a lifelong passion for numbers and number patterns to his tutoring at Mathnasium. 

Sandy encourages students to regard numbers as friends and enjoy the beauty of math. He’s volunteered extensively in local schools and coached youth sports for decades. His favorite number is the golden ratio, and he enjoys sharing math jokes and quotes, especially “Parallel lines have so much in common… it’s a shame they’ll never meet.” 

Jyoti

I have a bachelor's degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from India's top school, and have worked in IT industry for the last 25 years. Math and solving problems have always been a passion of mine. I find great satisfaction in helping children solve math problems. I believe love for math needs to grow.

Favorite Number: 9, because counting by 9 is so cool...

Favorite Math Joke: What did the triangle say to the circle? "You're pointless."

FunFact: Jyoti loves gardening.

Taesu

Hi! I'm Taesu, a freshman at West Valley College. Math was my best subject throughout high school; I was in an honors or AP course for all four years. I feel comfortable teaching math, as I was raised not to view it as needlessly painful or "hard," but rather as a challenge to overcome and a fun game of intuition. I find the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate concepts fascinating; the application of matrices in plane geometry and the use of integrals in three-dimensional geometry endlessly excite me. I'm a firm believer in the student's abilities; I feel most fulfilled when I guide them halfway through a problem and let their math instincts kick in so they can solve the rest. I enjoy spending my free time playing video games and cooking.

My favorite number: e, because it is ubiquitous in nature.

Math joke: Why do mathematicians love forests? Because of all the natural logs.

Juliana

Hi I'm Juliana! I am currently in high school but I have enjoyed math since I was little because there are so many different ways to solve a single math problem. I love helping others learn math because teaching math in fun and creative ways can make others learn to love math as well! In my free time, I like to swim, draw, and spend time with my friends and family.

Favorite number: 1, it is neither prime nor even and it represents a whole!

Favorite math joke: Why did the obtuse angle go to the beach? Because it was over 90 degrees!

Johan

Hi! My name is Johan and I'm a junior in high school. I enjoy working with kids and I have tutored a variety of subjects. Math has been my favorite subject since elementary school, especially because of its structured nature. I enjoy teaching math, especially while teaching new concepts and helping students solve challenging questions. In my spare time, I spend time with my family and listen to music.

Favorite Number: 3, it's always been my lucky number!

Favorite quote: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Ishaan

Hi! I'm Ishaan, a student at Leland High School. Math has always been my favorite subject because there's always a right answer. I love teaching at Mathnasium because it's super rewarding seeing the students gradually improve and eventually master a topic. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, doing robotics, and running.

Favorite Number: 4, I don't know why, it just seems right

Favorite Math Joke: What's a math teacher's favorite type of tree? Geome-TREE

Aamir

Hello! I'm Aamir and I'm a student at Leland High School. Math has always been my favorite subject because of how it follows rules and has a right answer. I enjoy teaching here because I love communicating with the students and solving difficult problems with them. In my free time, I enjoy robotics and spending time with friends.

Favorite number: 5, it's a very balanced number, right between 0 and 10.

Favorite Math Joke: Why did the student eat his math homework? Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake.

Lara

Hey there! I'm Lara, a graduating senior from Leland High School and an incoming freshman at Santa Clara University (go Broncos!). Math has always been my favorite subject, and I especially love how many different paths can lead to the same anwer! Even more rewarding is helping others build their confidence in math. Outside of Mathnasium, you’ll probably find me hiking up a trail, playing piano, getting way too competitive in video games, or listening to music. 

Favorite Number: 22/7 — because who doesn’t love an infinite slice of pi?

Favorite Math Joke: How do you stay warm in a cold room? Just go to the corner. It’s always 90 degrees!

James

Howdy! I'm James and I'm a Senior at Leland High School. I love math because it's incredibly intuitive! Math concepts are always straight-forward and serve a practical purpose, whether it be theoretical or in our everyday lives. When I'm not racking my brain over integrals and statistics, I'm usually debating for Leland's debate team, snacking on delicious foods with friends, or napping.

Favorite Number: 42 because it's the meaning of life! Or so I'm told...

Favorite Quote: "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

Anjika

Hi! I’m Anjika, a junior at Leland High School. I’ve been doing math for as long as I can remember, and love it partly because it always leads to a clear answer, but also because there are countless paths to get there! I also enjoy the unique puzzle-solving and analytical aspects of it that aren’t in many other subjects. Whenever I’m not working on math problems, I’m usually playing video games, competing in debate tournaments for Leland, or out with my friends.

Favorite Number: 4. It’s in the perfect spot - not too low and not too high.

Favorite Math Joke: Why won’t Goldilocks drink a glass of water with 8 pieces of ice in it? Because it’s too cubed.

Favorite Quote: "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Laya

Hi! I'm Laya, a junior at Leland High School. What I love about math is that one tiny detail can change the whole course of a problem, and there's something really satisfying about working through it until everything finally falls into place. I love teaching at Mathnasium because I get to really know each student, their strengths, where they're stuck, and how they think, and watching their confidence grow over time is the best feeling. Outside of work, I teach Kung Fu, compete in speech and debate, listen to music, and hang out with friends.

Favorite Number: 84. It's always just had the right vibe, I can't explain it.

Favorite Math Joke: Why did the student do multiplication on the floor? Because the teacher told them not to use tables.

Kashvi

Hi! I’m Kashvi, a student at Leland High School. Math has always been my favorite subject because once you master a concept, it becomes almost therapeutic to repeat, and there is no better feeling than solving a challenging problem on your own! I love teaching at Mathnasium because it feels rewarding to see kids genuinely engaged with a question. In my free time, I enjoy crocheting, hanging out with my friends, and napping.

Favorite number: 4 or 14, I can’t choose.

Favorite joke: Why was the math book so sad? Because it had so many problems.

Mira