Oak Park/ River Forest
1101 Chicago Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
Our staff is built to teach each student individually, to develop the skills they need to thrive in mathematics, and to foster a love of learning.
Our staff is built to teach each student individually, to develop the skills they need to thrive in mathematics, and to foster a love of learning.
Nick Woods, a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, brings energy and expertise to his role as Center Director. A National Merit Finalist with a perfect PSAT score, Nick received the OPRFHS Scholarship Cup and has years of experience as a private tutor. His goal is to make math accessible and engaging, helping students experience those powerful “lightbulb” moments. Nick especially enjoys working with students in calculus, his favorite subject.
Fun Fact: Outside of Mathnasium, Nick is an actor represented in Chicago and has appeared on NBC’s Chicago P.D.
Leo was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and graduated from Florida International University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in finance. Leo joined the Teacher Accelerator Program in Miami to explore a passion for teaching and earn a Mathematics 6th–12th grade teaching certification. Leo has taught Geometry and Algebra 1 to high school students and has also tutored middle schoolers. Passionate about math, Leo is eager to teach at any grade level and make math accessible to all learners!
Fun Fact: Leo has road-tripped across most of the United States and visited many exciting destinations around the world!
Emma is a graduate from Marquette University where she studied mathematics and computer science. As a college student, she was a teaching assistant for The Nature of Mathematics and a tutor for Calculus. She was also president of the Math Club and math honors society, Pi Mu Epsilon. While discrete math sparked her interest in the subject, number theory and graph theory were among her favorite classes at Marquette. Emma enjoys how mathematical proofs build a toolbox of problem-solving skills, and hopes she can inspire others to find a love for math as well. Some of her hobbies and interests include knitting, cartography, rock climbing, reading, and cycling. Someday she hopes to circumnavigate Lake Superior by bike!
Fun fact: Emma is half of one of two sets of twins in her family.
Ronan is a doctoral candidate in science education at UIC and passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education!. They've presented at conferences in three different continents and study how to make STEM education better for all learners! Ronan didn't always find math at school easy so becoming a math tutor is a big deal for them; they love helping students find ways to make math meaningful and fun! In their downtime, Ronan is an avid knitter, crocheter, furniture maker, and chef (all of their hobbies involve a surprising amount of math!).
Fun fact: Ronan was on an episode of Myth Busters!
Adrien is a graduate from Oberlin College, where they studied Computer Science and Geology. They and their siblings were among OPRF Mathnasium’s first students when the center opened in 2013. Adrien developed a deeper interest in math while studying discrete mathematics, algorithms, and theory of computation in college. They credit their past tutors for providing the support and encouragement they needed to overcome initial struggles with grade school math, which led them to discover branches of applied mathematics that paired with their strong analytical writing skills. Adrien aspires to attend graduate school for Science and Technology Studies and hopes to address the growing technical and digital literacy crises in their work.
Fun fact: Adrien always has at least three vases of fresh-cut flowers tastefully placed about their apartment!
Jana Frank opened Mathnasium of Oak Park/River Forest in 2013 and has since built a thriving, community-centered learning hub. With degrees in psychology and education, and an endorsement in mathematics from the University of Chicago, Jana combines deep academic expertise with a love for teaching. She contributes to Mathnasium’s national curriculum development and serves on the Chicagoland Mathnasium Co-Op board. and is passionate about showing kids that math is fun and accessible.
Fun Fact: Jana performs as a circus artist. In her free time, she trains and performs in flying trapeze, aerial arts, and acrobatics with the Triton Troupers.
Ailey is currently a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She has previously taken Geometry, Algebra 1 and 2, Precalculus, AP Calculus AB/BC, and is currently completing Linear Algebra/Calculus 3. Math is Ailey’s favorite subject, and she enjoys teaching it to others. After her high school education, Ailey would like to major in Economics or Engineering. Ailey is also a part of the softball community. She is a first baseman/outfielder and has been playing the sport for over 10 years.
Fun fact: Ailey loves to travel; some of her favorite places are India and Greece!
Ana is currently a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School taking AP Calculus AB. Previously, she took Honors College Algebra & Trigonometry and Honors Intermediate Algebra. Ana enjoys teaching others about the patterns in mathematics and exploring how math builds upon itself. Her favorite subjects are History, Spanish and Math, and she’s a member of her school’s Psychology Club, Metalworking Club, and Spanish Club. In her free time, she enjoys folding origami and doing similar arts and crafts. She hopes to use math in her future career through data analysis and statistics in marketing.
Fun fact: Ana is obsessed with animation and has attended the world’s largest animation festival in France!
Andrew graduated from Elmwood Park High School in 2024 and is currently studying at Illinois Tech pursuing a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering. Outside of school, Andrew dabbles in songwriting, origami, and real-time strategy games. However, as far as he can recall, math has been Andrew's lifelong companion. From learning algebra from his father at an early age to studying differential equations and linear algebra in university, Andrew is constantly fascinated with math's ability to explain the universe, and he hopes that Mathnasium students are able to feel and experience that fascination for themselves.
Fun Fact: Andrew is positively obsessed with musical theater, even starring as cast and crew for his high school's production of Chicago, and his latest obsession is EPIC the Musical!
Andrew is a student at the University of Illinois Chicago studying Mechanical Engineering. He is a graduate of Fenwick High School, where he took Algebra Honors II, Geometry Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, and AP Calculus AB. He is currently taking Calculus 2 and has developed a passion for teaching others all that he knows. Thanks to 10 years as a Boy Scout, Andrew enjoys all things outdoors, including hiking, fishing, camping, and bouldering. He spends most of his free time drawing and listening to music.
Fun fact: Andrew is an avid woodworking and blacksmithing enjoyer.
Cal is currently a student at Oak Park & River Forest High School. Cal has loved math and helping his friends and sister since he was old enough to write. He has taken Geometry and Algebra I and II, and he is currently taking AP Precalculus. Cal’s favorite subjects are math, science and Spanish. In his free time, Cal enjoys playing the drums, playing ultimate frisbee, and studying up for Scholastic Bowl club at the high school, where he is a math and science whiz.
Fun fact: Cal is very interested in physics and quantum mechanics, and he is co-founding a physics club at the high school!
Cecilia is a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She has taken Geometry, Advanced Algebra, AP Pre-Calculus, and is looking forward to taking AP Calculus AB/BC. Math has always been her favorite subject and she love helping her friends and cousins whenever they need it. Cecilia was president of Freshman Class Council, did Business Club, and is planning on doing more clubs like Athletic Student Council in the near future. She has also been part of the OPRF soccer team since Freshman year, and loves playing soccer, baking, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.
Fun fact: Cecilia plans on retiring in Arizona!
Cooper is an astronomy and earth science student. He studies online at Arizona State University. He loves learning about math, having taken Calculus I, II, & III, Differential Equations, and multiple Physics courses. Helping others understand and love math and science has always been a passion of his. Cooper enjoys creative writing and drawing in his free time.
Fun Fact: Cooper is currently writing a collection of fantasy novels.
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!
Ellis is a student of Columbia College Chicago where he studies creative writing. They joined the Mathnasium team because they believe in Mathnasium's mission to make math fun. He hopes to enrich students on their education journeys. In his free time Ellis knits and makes music. Ellis is honing his writing skills in hopes of working in disability advocacy in the future. Fun
Fact: Ellis is working on writing a visual novel, which is a genre of video game that's mostly reading!
Eva is currently a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She is taking AP Calculus AB and AP Physics 1, and she is planning to take AP Calculus BC and Calc III in the fall. Eva has been passionate about mathematics for as long as she can remember, consistently taking advanced math courses. She plans to pursue further studies in math after high school and is dedicated to helping others build a strong understanding of the subject. Outside of academics, Eva enjoys spending time with loved ones, drawing in her sketchbook, and reading books.
Fun fact: Eva also collects Hot Wheels!
Huibo has a PhD in neuroscience from the university of Chicago. Apart from being a TA for 5 undergrad level classes, she has 3+ years of tutoring students from K-12 in stem subjects, college prep exams and college applications.
Fun fact: Hui Bo competed and taught competitive Ballroom and Latin dance!
Keaton is a student at OPRF high school. He has taken AP Calculus AB/BC and plans to take Linear Algebra and Calculus. His favorite classes are AP Chemistry and AP Research, which combine two of his biggest interests: science and math. Biology is another one of his favorite subjects, and he plans to major in biochemistry in college. He is a member of the science Olympiad club at his school, and he is a leader for the biology research club. Outside of school, he loves hanging out with friends and listening to and making music.
Fun fact: Keaton has won gold in an international piano competition!
This is Nitai , he has lived in Oak Park since 2008. He attends Oak Park and River Forest High school, and is set to graduate in 2026. He wants to attend college on the west coast, California, Oregon or Washington. Most importantly, he loves math, and wants to make it fun as it's something that has been marked with a negative connotation in a lot of spaces. His main values are education, as well as learning, and he started working at mathnasium because he felt like he could have a real impact there as a tutor.
Fun Fact: His dad introduced him to skiing when he was 3 years old, and it's now become his favorite hobby. Niati's father introduced him to Mountain biking, as well as road biking, which remain his favorite things, outside of skiing!
Simon, a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, has always enjoyed math and working with young children, finishing AP Calculus BC at OPRF and supervising kids at Chicagoland summer camps with the West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA) for two summers. Although he went on to study Political Science and International Relations at St. Olaf College, he wants to keep math a part of his life and inspire students to recapture their love for it, as he knows how it feels to be discouraged by it at one point or another. Simon spent ten months in Mexico City after graduating from St. Olaf volunteering at a migrant accommodations center, played the oboe in his high school band and his college band and orchestra, and loves sports of all kinds.
Fun fact: Simon loves speaking and learning about Spanish!
Valen is a student from Oak Park and River forest High school. He has previously taken courses such as Geometry, Algebra I and II, AP Precalculus and AP Calculus AB/BC. His favorite subjects in school include Math, Science and History. Valen is an active member of his school's Scholastic Bowl team, Government and Public Policy club, and plays Cello for his school's orchestra. In his free time, he is a part of OPRF's boys Volleyball and boys Soccer teams.
Fun Fact: Valen can name all of the countries and identify all of their flags.
Zev is a student at OPRF high school. Zev's favorite classes are AP Calculus AB/BC and AP Physics C, and he always enjoys helping his classmates with difficult problems in these classes. Zev is taking AP Statistics, Linear Algebra, and Calculus III. Zev plans on majoring in engineering in college but has not decided which branch. Zev has been on the varsity wrestling team since his freshman year and wants to continue his wrestling career in college.
Fun fact: Zev loves to cook; his specialty is probably fried rice!
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!
Owen is a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he is a member of Crest Literary-Art Review Club and Environmental Club. He is currently taking Linear Algebra and Calc III, and has previously taken AP Calculus AB/BC and Advanced Algebra. Owen has had a fascination with math ever since discovering numbers, and he continues to learn even outside of school through video essays and going down internet rabbit holes. His favorite field of math is Calculus (although always subject to change) and his favorite classes include chemistry, math, and Spanish. Owen loves the feeling of finally understanding how a confusing topic works, particularly after trying and failing a few times. He plans to pursue computer science and biochemistry related subjects in college, looking for the perfect intersection between the two. He also enjoys walking his dog Lucy, reorganizing his room, and spending time with friends.
Fun Fact: Owen taught himself how to code during the pandemic, and created a project with those skills that he still works on after 4 years!
Teach children math so they understand it, master it, and love it. Math can change their lives, and they can change the world.
Are you interested in changing lives through math? We're looking for outstanding individuals with a high level of commitment who are passionate about teaching math. Find out if there's a Mathnasium position that's just right for you!
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(708) 613-4007
(708) 613-4007
