Eric Austin

Math Department Chair
eaustin@nya.org
Mr. Austin’s Page

Originally from New Hampshire, Eric Austin moved to Maine with his family in the summer of 2000 and began teaching math and science courses at NYA that fall.  He has been an independent school teacher for 22 years, and, in addition to serving as math department chair, he currently teaches AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Advanced Physics, and Pre-Calculus AB. Eric has a B.S. in Physics from the University of New Hampshire and a M.S. in Environmental Management and Policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  He loves teaching at NYA, a school he considers to be “the best independent day school on the coast of New England.”

Eric lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two daughters (NYA ’15 and ’17), along with one dog, three cats, and twelve chickens.

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Regina Hackleman

rhackleman@nya.org
Ms. Hackleman’s Page

Reggie Hackleman has been teaching at NYA since 2005. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics from SUNY Geneseo with a minor in Computer Science, and she has a masters in mathematics education from Boston University. After college, Reggie taught in Midland, Texas, and Denver, Colorado, before returning to the east coast and a job teaching in the Boston public schools. Her independent school career began at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she taught math and coached girls lacrosse. Reggie met her future husband while mountain biking in the Grand Canyon, and his ties to Maine eventually brought her to NYA. In addition to teaching math, Reggie is the faculty advisor for the math team and for a girls’ group called Stella. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, who will shortly be joined by a new sibling. When she has time, Reggie still enjoys mountain biking as well as the outdoors, gardening, cooking, and playing flag football.

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Khoa Khuong

kkhuong@nya.org
Mr. Khuong’s Page

Khoa Khuong was born in Thu Duc, Vietnam. At the age of 13, Khoa moved to the United States with his parents and six siblings and settled in Los Angeles, California. He spent most of his teenage years in California and graduated from high school with a class of 450 students before moving to Maine to attend Bowdoin College. Khoa was attracted to Maine after seeing beautiful pictures of pristine snow scenes; however, after spending his first winter in Maine, he realized he might have been mistaken about the weather. After graduating from Bowdoin (and despite his thoughts about the weather), Khoa decided to stay in Maine and accepted a position at Richmond High School, where he taught math for three years before joining the faculty at North Yarmouth Academy in the fall of 2007.

At NYA, Khoa teaches mathematics in the upper school including algebra, geometry and statistics. He is also involved in coaching the boys tennis team. During the spring break of 2009, Khoa returned to Vietnam, this time with NYA students, on a two week trip he helped organize and chaperone. He is planning another Vietnam trip for students in 2011.

During the summer months, Khoa can be found at Kingsley Pines co-ed summer camp in Raymond, Maine where he is the director of the Leaders in Training (LIT) program. At Kingsley Pines, Khoa mentors a select group of teenagers and fosters the development of the leadership skills necessary for them to become camp counselors. Khoa also recently got married, and in his spare time he enjoys tennis, ultimate Frisbee, traveling, camping, and fishing.

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Nate Smith

nsmith@nya.org
Mr. Smith’s Page

“The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.” ~ Chief Seattle, 1854

After a short stint in the environmental consulting world, Nate Smith quickly realized his passion was to spend his days with middle school kids, both as a teacher and as a coach. Nate earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Allegheny College and a Masters of Education from Wilmington College. He taught for a year in Wilmington, Delaware, before coming to NYA in 2005. At NYA, Nate teaches both math and science in grades 6-8. He also coaches 8th grade soccer and runs the ski club that takes trips to Sunday River. Other activities that he has led or is currently leading are futsal (indoor soccer), ultimate Frisbee, acoustic jam session, and Google Sketchup club. Outside of NYA, Nate enjoys playing guitar and competing in local soccer leagues and triathlons. He loves living in Maine and enjoys spending his free time exploring this wonderful area with his wife and two daughters.