Leadership
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Name: Amy Zhong Position: Co-President School: University High School, Grade 11 Three words that describe her: Passionate, logical, committed How long she has been in Math for Service: 3 years Volunteering for Math for Service has taught me to push myself to become a better teacher, better leader, and a better person. Getting to work with like-minded volunteers to create new opportunities for others is a truly rewarding experience that has taught me a lot about compassion, planning, and teamwork. I plan to continue the work of OC Math Circle and improve the quality of our current events, add new events with a broader reach, and spread the joy and discipline of problem solving and mathematics to the youth of Orange County. Name: Michael Wu Position and Organization: Co-President School: University High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him: Loyal, dedicated, and curious How long he has been in Math for Service: 4 years My first exposure to STEM came at the 2010 Thanksgiving Math Tournament and in fourth grade, I vividly remember aspiring to be those high school volunteers. Since then, I've been extremely fortunate to be able to give back to the community that I grew up in. Not only have I honed my leadership skills, I have further learned the power of human connection through knowledge. I plan to leave a legacy of innovation through the creation of new programs and events as well as that of bringing the OC Math Circle to a new era of teaching and commitment to our participants. Name: Alex Kwon Position: Santa Ana Math Club Co-Director School: Sage Hill School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him: Passionate, responsible, organized How long he has been in Math for Service: 1.5 years I choose to volunteer at Math for Service because it combines my passion for teaching and working with younger students under my two favorite subjects: math and science. I learned that volunteering to teach students really makes a difference in their lives, and we should strive to improve more students' lives in the world. The students' excitement and passion in learning inspire me to volunteer with a strong love and motivated attitude. I plan to contribute my teaching skills, passion in working with younger students, kindness, unique ideas to improve Math for Service, and my ability to work well with others. Name: Catherine Cui Position: Santa Ana Math Club Co-Director School: Arnold O. Beckman High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe her: Energetic, persistent, positive How long she has been in Math for Service: 2 years I volunteer with Math for Service because I find it unfortunate that some students are unable to love mathematics due to limited resources or lack of confidence. I hope to leave my students with a lifelong passion for mathematics and spread the belief that "anyone can accomplish anything when they set their mind to it." I often lack the patience to realize my visions and dreams; interacting with students and fellow volunteers have shown me the value of patience. I plan to contribute my passion for math, my positive outlook towards life and new ideas to the Math for Service community.
Name: Nyle Wong Position: Middle School Math Club Co-Director School: University High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him: Optimistic, motivated, friendly How long he has been in Math for Service: 2 years I first attended the Middle School Math Club classes in 6th grade. Inspired by the dedication of the volunteers, I joined OC Math Circle two years later. Through Math for Service, I found a home where I could spread my passion for math to younger students. I have learned about the meaning of serving, caring, and being responsible. I also learned that my actions can inspire the next generation of volunteers. As the Co-Director of the Middle School Math Club, I hope to engage volunteers and students by exploring the beauty of math beyond competition math. I aim to achieve deep thinking and active learning through hands-on worksheets and active discussion.
Name: Pranav Kanchi Position: Elementary School Math Club Co-Director School: University High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him: Passionate, amiable, hopeful How long he has been in Math for Service: <1 year I am looking forward to channeling my passion for the betterment of the community through OC Math Circle. I am hoping to instill in younger students a love for math by making it as fun as possible. Name: Jennifer Pan Position: Fundraising Team School: Arnold O. Beckman High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe her: Curious, funny, trustworthy How long she has been in Math for Service: <1 year I've been involved in planning sponsorships and fundraising throughout my entire high school career, and I hope that I can transfer my skills over to OC Math Circle to provide the funds necessary for all of the free services we provide in our community, such as tournaments, math classes, and carnivals.
Name: Austin Sun Position: VP of Marketing School: Troy High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him: Happy, passionate, friendly How long he has been in Math for Service: 3 years In 7th grade, attending OC Math Circle's New Year's Invitational Introduced me to the creative and fun world of math. It's come full circle. As a sophomore, I served as Director of Middle School Math Club and since freshman year, I have volunteered at Santa Ana Math Club, helping underprivileged students flourish in their interest and skills in math. Last year, as VP of Marketing, I helped OC Math Circle raise funds and promoted its various events throughout the community. As a longtime OC Math Circle volunteer, seeing students grow has been rewarding. I volunteer because I want to continue to help students see mathematics as a creative, fun, and social pursuit.
Name: Dhruba Basu Position: Fundraising Team School: University High School, Grade 11 Three words that describe him are: Charismatic, approachable, confident How long he has been in Math for Service: 2 years I decided to volunteer at Math for Service as I wanted a place to volunteer and had developed an interest in mathematics and computer science. From my Math for Service experience, I have learned multiple things including how non-profit organizations are able to pull off events and how to interact with our target demographic of elementary and middle schooler. To be able to utilize my skillset and enrich younger students gives me a sense of purpose and I enjoy doing it. In the background, I hope to help with the fundraising aspect of running a non-profit organization in any way I can. Name: Ivy Cao Position: Director of Communications School: University High School, Grade 11 Three words that describe her are: Determined, responsible, sensible How long she has been in Math for Service: 3 years My first experience with competition math was during OC Math Circle's Thanksgiving Tournament. The tournament fostered my love for math and motivated me to participate in additional competitions. I volunteer at Math for Service because of my desire to give back to the organization that sparked my initial interest in math. Volunteering with Math for Service has taught me that every student has the ability to excel. I gained new insights about the learning process and further developed my teaching skills. As Director of Communications, I hope to streamline communications by facilitating feedback from the community to respective departments so our programs can be constantly improved. Name: Linghao Kong Position: VP of Operations School: University High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him: Driven, precise, capable How long he has been in Math for Service: 5 years I volunteer at Math for Service because I think that I can actually make a positive impact on the community, with all the classes and tournaments we hold. I learned that in order to effectively convey messages, you need to prepare and be willing to see how the message would be received from the other point of view. I plan to use my expertise in planning and running math classes to help current directors of math clubs with improving or changing them.
Name: Anivrit Subramaniam Position: High School Math Club Co-Director, Math Team Co-Director School: University High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him are: Passionate, talkative, ambitious How long he has been in Math for Service: 3 years I volunteer for OC Math Circle because I want to give back to the community that supported me in pursuing my interest in math. By volunteering, I can spread my passion for math to children throughout Orange County by exposing them to a different side of math. As a volunteer, I learned to work better with others and communicate clearly; I improved myself as a person, furthering my skills to teach and run events. I bring a strong passion for STEM and a goal of increasing student involvement in STEM. These characteristics enable me to constantly look for ways to improve Math for Service. Name: Nathan Kim Position: Problem Writing Committee Assistant Director School: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him are: Grateful, kind hearted, hard-working How long he has been in Math for Service: 2.5 years For so long, I've loved mathematics and have had many opportunities to develop this passion through math clubs and classes. Entering high school, I wanted to give younger students these same opportunities so I joined OCMC. Through volunteering, I've learned how to effectively lead and have improved my interpersonal skills. Most importantly, I've realized the value of sharing the enjoyment that I once had. Last year, I worked on OCMC's new book, which includes lessons, past Thanksgiving Tournament problems, and full solutions. This year, I would like to finish creating the book, see its publication, and help promote it.
Name: Kalyan Nath Position: Fundraising Team School: University High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him are: Humorous, friendly, persistent How long he has been in Math for Service: 3 years I volunteer at Math for Service because I feel that teaching kids math is more interesting than other typical volunteer activities. As a volunteer, I have learned that children learn in many different ways. Not one activity will interest or educate a child, thus Math for Service organizes various activities, ranging from tournaments to classes to carnivals, to help children learn in a variety of manner. I hope to increase fundraising for Math for Service so we can continue providing educational services for children free of charge. I would like my contributions to go towards expanding events and inviting inspiring guest speakers. Name: Eric Lee Position: Math Fun Night Assistant Director School: Corona Del Mar Middle School, Grade 8 Three words that describe him are: Analytical, thoughtful, exciting How long he has been in Math for Service: 1 year It's easier to learn something when you know why it's necessary and why it's fun. I started volunteering at Math for Service because I wanted to show people that mathematics is applicable to real life and that it can be fun at the same time. I first volunteered at STEAM in the Park, which showed how I can create change in minds about mathematics. I want to show students that mathematics is not a class that you have to sit through, but instead is an idea that you should absorb and utilize! Name: Neal Sharma Position: Middle School Math Club Co-Director School: University High School, Grade 12 Three words that describe him are: Curious, creative, compassionate How long he has been in Math for Service: 5 years In middle school, I started volunteering at OC Math Circle because I could share my passion for mathematics with others, and I don't plan on stopping. Volunteering at OC Math Circle has made me realize teaching others gives me great personal satisfaction. In addition, it has taught me essential communication, organization, teamwork, and leadership skills that go beyond just knowledge of math concepts. I intend to mentor other Math for Service volunteers and build a strong community of educators who can teach a wider community and expand Math for Service. STEM is foundational for future careers and we can build a strong society through intellectual enrichment. Name: Kevin Zhang Position: Problem Writing Committee Director School: Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him are: Hard-working, motivated, friendly How long he has been in Math for Service: <1 year I plan to contribute to the Math for Service by inviting professors and accomplished students as a part of OC Math Circle's Guest Lecture Series. I would also like to expand the Problem Writing Committee to include writing detailed solutions for different math clubs. Name: Pete Hua Position: High School Math Club Co-Director, Math Team Co-Director School: Crean Lutheran High School, Grade 11 Three words that describe him are: Challenging, realistic, optimistic How long he has been in Math for Service: 2 years Compared to several other organizations I have volunteered in, Math for Service attracts me the most with its unique atmosphere - volunteers are united by the passion to make a difference. Math for Service taught me to always think about doing more, and be creative if I wish to contribute and serve the community better. I will do my best to inspire talented high school students and help them to grow a life-long interest in math with High School Math Club. I will also work on organizing monthly activities for High School Math Circle and selecting a traveling team to compete in national math tournaments. Name: Dae Yeon (Daniel) Ryu Position: Elementary School Math Club Co-Director, Math Fun Night Director School: University High School, Grade 10 Three words that describe him are: Nerdy, adaptable, considerate How long he has been in Math for Service: 1.5 years I volunteer at Math For Service because I want to make math an enjoyable subject and improve the environment knowledge about math. I want students to have fun while learning math, not force them. I also love Math for Service because of the community. The community is so welcoming and takes in every idea you have to consider, and it is an example of sheer teamwork. Teamwork will ensure a great learning experience for the participants as well as the community, and optimism will always. I plan on contributing the Math For Service community by promoting teamwork and optimism throughout our audience.
Amy Zhong, Co-President
Michael Wu, Co-President
Alex Kwon, Santa Ana Math Club Co-Director
Catherine Cui, Santa Ana Math Club Co-Director
Nyle Wong, Middle School Math Club Co-Director
Pranav Kanchi, Elementary School Math Club Co-Director
Jennifer Pan, Fundraising Team
Austin Sun, Vice President of Marketing
Dhruba Basu, Fundraising Team
Ivy Cao, Director of Communications
Linghao Kong, Vice President of Operations
Anivrit Subramaniam, High School Math Club Co-Director, Math Team Co-Director
Nathan Kim, Problem Writing Committee Assistant Director
Kalyan Nath, Fundraising Team
Eric Lee, Math Fun Night Assistant Director
Neal Sharma, Middle School Math Club Co-Director
Kevin Zhang, Problem Writing Committee Director
Pete Hua, High School Math Club Co-Director, Math Team Co-Director
Daniel Ryu, Elementary School Math Club Co-Director, Math Fun Night Director
