Our Team at Mathnasium of University Irvine

Annie Xu

Annie graduated from USC with a master degree of education and she also held a bachelor degree double major in psychology and educational science from UC, Irvine. She've gained her passion working with students from her hands-on experience of being an ESL instructor in public school elementary settings and doing intern as a multi-subject teacher in a private trilingual immersion school. She loves seeing her students grow more confident in their academic abilities, and she understands that every learner brings unique strengths to the classroom. Outside of working, she enjoys rock climbing, skiing, and travelling around. Annie is excited to share her passion for math and empower learners of all ages to excel at Mathnasium.

Sanika Patwardhan

Sanika is a second-year Business Administration student at UC Irvine with a strong passion for teaching and helping students build confidence in math. She has several years of math tutoring experience and is especially loved by students for her clear, patient explanations and her ability to make challenging concepts feel approachable. Sanika excelled academically in high school, graduating with a 4.6 GPA and completing nine AP courses, including AP Calculus AB. She continued her advanced math studies at UCI with Single Variable Calculus II. Her strong foundation allows her to break down complex ideas in a way that is logical, relatable, and easy to understand.

Beyond academics, Sanika has been deeply involved in mentoring and leadership roles—tutoring at Heritage Park Library, serving as a Junior Instructor in martial arts, and holding a board position in a school club. She also developed strong organizational and creative skills as the Editor of her high school’s Yearbook team. She believes math is a universal language that connects people, and she finds genuine joy in helping students grow, succeed, and discover that math can be both understandable and enjoyable. 

Rajit Swarup

Rajit is a Computer Science major with aspirations of becoming a Cyber Security professional. He has been part of our Mathnasium family since 2015 — first as a dedicated mathlete, and now as an experienced instructor and Core Team member.

With over four years of math tutoring experience, Rajit brings a blend of strong mathematical understanding, patience, and humor that students truly enjoy. He has a special talent for making math feel easier and more fun, helping students break through challenges with confidence. Rajit believes that many students dislike math simply because it hasn’t been explained in a way that makes sense to them. His goal is to guide them toward understanding problems deeply, learning from mistakes, and discovering that math can be enjoyable.

Outside the center, Rajit played water polo throughout high school and has taught children how to swim. In his free time, he enjoys drawing both in his sketchbook and on his digital tablet.

Justin Nguyen

Justin is a second-year Aerospace Engineering student at UCI with a long-standing strength and passion for mathematics. Excelling in math from a young age, Justin has built a solid foundation through advanced coursework and years of helping peers and younger students. His clear explanations and patient teaching style make him a strong mentor for students who need support or a confidence boost in math.

Justin joined Mathnasium because he genuinely enjoys the moment when a concept “clicks” for a student. He finds it rewarding to help students understand challenging problems, build stronger mathematical thinking, and develop a greater appreciation for the subject.

Beyond math, Justin has a deep interest in geography, navigation, transportation systems, traffic flow, and airport design—areas that inspire his future goal of becoming an air traffic controller. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, exploring new places, watching TV shows, and diving into articles and videos related to his favorite topics.

Skyland Kanthatham

Skyland is a second-year student at IVC pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and working toward his goal of becoming a high school math teacher. He is actively preparing to earn his teaching credential and has developed a strong passion for helping students understand and enjoy mathematics.

With more than three years of math tutoring and classroom experience, Skyland has worked with a wide range of learners—supporting younger classmates, leading peer study groups, and assisting in structured instructional settings. His calm, patient teaching style and clear explanations make him especially effective at helping students build confidence and master challenging concepts.

Outside of academics, Skyland enjoys staying active by going to the gym and playing pickleball.

Ethan Arakaki

Ethan is a first-year student at IVC pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His long-standing interest in designing and building—from middle school projects to advanced engineering coursework—naturally led him to develop strong problem-solving skills and a deep appreciation for mathematics.

Ethan brings valuable STEM experience to Mathnasium, including two years of FIRST Robotics and four years of Computer-Aided Design (CAD). These experiences strengthened his analytical thinking, spatial reasoning, and ability to break down complex problems, skills he now uses to help students understand math more intuitively. His engineering background allows him to connect mathematical concepts to real-world applications, making learning more engaging and meaningful for students.

Ethan is passionate about helping students build confidence, especially those who benefit from clear, step-by-step explanations and hands-on approaches. In his free time, he enjoys playing Minecraft and exploring creative projects that combine math, design, and engineering.

Sujay Singhal

Sujay Singhal is a junior at Beckman High School with a strong passion for teaching and mentoring students. Although he is currently pursuing an academic path in Biology with aspirations of becoming a doctor, Sujay has developed extensive experience in mathematics instruction. He has worked with students of various ages, helping them build foundational skills, develop confidence, and reach their academic goals.

Inspired by the support she received from his older brother, Sujay is driven by a desire to help others and believes that learning never stops. He values education both inside and outside the classroom and strives to make math approachable and enjoyable for his students. Along with his background in math tutoring, Sujay also has experience in engineering and biology, giving him a well-rounded STEM perspective.

Outside of academics, Sujay enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her friends.

Jacob E.

Jacob is a fourth-year college student with a strong passion for teaching and math education. After spending two years in the Computer Science program at Arizona State University, he realized his true interests lay elsewhere and returned to California to explore new academic paths. He is currently studying at OCC and plans to transfer into a Mathematics program, with the goal of earning his teaching credential and becoming a math educator.

Jacob has been helping others learn for many years—beginning in high school when he supported classmates and tutored his younger sister. Since then, he has gained over four years of tutoring experience, including working as an AVID tutor at Ralston Middle School for the last two years, as well as providing private tutoring to students of various ages. His natural patience, ability to break down concepts, and genuine enjoyment of seeing students succeed make him a strong mentor for learners who need confidence and clarity in math.

Outside of academics, Jacob enjoys basketball, football, comics, manga, novels, and just about anything “nerdy.” His easygoing personality and broad interests help him build great rapport with students while keeping learning engaging and enjoyable.

Aiden T.

Aiden Ton is a first-year Biomedical Engineering major at UC Irvine with an accelerated background in mathematics. He began working with tutors at a young age, which helped him build a strong foundation and progress rapidly—advancing into college-level math by his sophomore year of high school.

Aiden has over three years of mentoring experience, particularly with elementary and middle school robotics teams, where he guided students through problem-solving, teamwork, and technical challenges. He enjoys watching students grow more confident as they overcome obstacles and progress through their curriculum. His calm teaching style and ability to simplify complex ideas make him a great fit for supporting learners at all levels.

Outside of math and engineering, Aiden loves baking and cooking a variety of dishes, always experimenting and creating new recipes.

Sarah. G

Sarah Gagnier is a second year student at UCI currently studying Biological Sciences with a minor in Health Informatics. She loves tutoring students particularly in the realms of math, chemistry and biology. She is involved in Associated Students at UCI and also works in Undergrad research at the Gershon Lab. On the weekends you will often find her volunteering at the local hospital or studying at a cafe. She also loves hot yoga and reading.

Joseph Teng

Joseph Teng is a fifth-year student at CSULB pursuing a degree in Mathematics Education and is currently dual-enrolled in the university’s Single Subject Credential Program. With several years of experience supporting students as a private math tutor, Joseph has helped learners strengthen foundational skills, master challenging concepts, and build confidence in the subject. His growing expertise in math pedagogy, combined with his hands-on tutoring background, has prepared him to guide students effectively at a wide range of levels.

Joseph has always enjoyed working with kids, finding it natural to connect with them and deeply rewarding to witness the moment a difficult concept finally “clicks.” Outside of teaching, he is passionate about sports and music and would gladly have music playing all day if he could.

And his favorite math joke? “What do you call a cow that does math? A cowculator.”