Meet Rachelle Araos | Center Director and Owner of Mathnasium of South Escondido

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachelle Araos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachelle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

My husband and I wanted to start our own business, initially, for financial independence. I think this is true for most entrepreneurs. I have been working in the IT corporate space for 20 years at that time and the daily grind has got me thinking of what else I can do.

When we started our learning center, the advocacy of teaching students a better way to learn Math slowly took over. After attending our first Math training at Mathnasium in Los Angeles, we quickly realized that this is something we want our younger selves to have known, and therefore want to share with as many students as possible.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

We own and run Mathnasium in Escondido, CA a Math-only learning center. We help students from Grade 1-12 learn Math in a way that makes sense to them.

For decades the Mathnasium Method has transformed the way kids learn math. We build a foundation for math mastery through deep understanding by starting with what they already know, addressing any learning gaps, expanding their mathematical thinking, and adding new concepts in sequence. This proprietary method works for kids of all ages and skill levels, whether they’re struggling in math, doing okay but could be doing better, or are already excelling but need more of a challenge. When kids see what they can achieve because of their proficiency in math, it can alter the course of their entire lives.

We are most proud of our students. We have seen several students go from an F to an A in Math. While grades measure their success, we see that their overall confidence in themselves is what matters most. As they become better at Math, the confidence they gain starts spreading in other areas of their lives.

Running a learning center, or any business, during the time of Covid is very challenging. When Covid hit us in March of 2020, and closures were ordered immediately, we had to quickly pivot to providing our services online. It was a blessing that Mathnasium, at that time, was already testing an online alternative that we were supposed to release over the summer for our students who were traveling. We were offline for two weeks and so we had to refund all fees for half of that month. When we launched our remote learning service, we also had families who opted out of the program, plus the initial technical challenges we had from launching a new online alternative.

Looking back, I think it was really our perseverance, the support of our staff, and the support of the parents who saw the need to establish a sense of normalcy for their kids to at least still be able to attend sessions at Mathnasium and see their beloved instructors albeit online, that helped us through.

What we want the world to know about our service is how it’s really targeting the pain points in Math that students and parents have. We believe in a personalized approach to teaching. Each student learns differently, and from different styles of teaching. While it would be easier for us to provide a cookie-cutter service to all of our students, doing so would not help us achieve our goals of helping them succeed. More importantly, these kids want to feel that they are seen and heard by people they look up to. I think that is one of the many intangible benefits we provide that many others do not.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Escondido is filled with many interesting places to see and eat.

For our friends who have kids coming with them, we would bring them to San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Children’s Museum, California Center for the Arts (if there are interesting shows that weekend), and Kit Carson Park.

For couple friends, we would be bringing them to our local breweries and wineries. We have Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens which is always a fun place to catch up with friends. There are also several Wineries & Vineyards around Escondido where we can spend a low-key afternoon just chatting away. Some of the wineries include Orfila Vineyards & Wineries, Forgotten Barrel Winery, and Cheval Winery.

Escondido’s Grand Ave is also coming alive with several food places opening up. Our go-tos include The Grand Tea Room, EscoGelato, Burger Bench, and A Delight of France.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The path to entrepreneurship is never an easy one. I would credit whatever success I have achieved to my husband, family, and friends. Their support, mentorship, and encouragement, especially in challenging times, give me the boost I need to fight another day.

Website: mathnasium.com/southescondido/about

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/MathSoEscondido

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