Meet the team
About our Team
StudentUnion is an educational nonprofit that bridges college students pursuing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) degrees with K–12 learners through hands-on, project-based learning. Their team comprises university-level Maker Fellow instructors who apply their advanced academic knowledge to mentor younger students in afterschool programs, in-school sessions, and summer camps. By fostering early engagement in STEAM, the organization aims to build confidence, creativity, and technical skills in the next generation of innovators.
Our Team
Stephen Gilman
Stephen is the founder and executive director of StudentUnion (501c3) and MakerState (LLC), two NYC-based organizations that deliver STEAM, SEL, career prep and game-based learning and professional development to NYC public schools (STEAM: science, tech, engineering, arts, math), particularly for economically disadvantaged schools and students with learning differences. Stephen is a father, former NYC public school teacher and dean, and veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He has led teacher professional development as a principal co-investigator of the National Science Foundation Maker Partnership, with a focus on integrating 21st Century skills like problem-solving, creative collaboration, app design and coding, and 3D design into everyday academic learning. Stephen led four cohorts of teacher professional development for the NYC DOE’s “CS4all” (Computer Science for All) initiative to ensure computer science is taught in all NYC public schools. Stephen is a founding board member of the Urban Assembly Maker Academy, a founder of the Carnegie Learning Center, a founding teacher and dean of Bronx Collegiate, a public high school based in Outward Bound experiential learning, and a founding board member of the volunteer network, UlsterCorps. Stephen enjoys board game design, historical fiction writing, disc golf, pickleball, snowboarding, biking around the city, and creativity of all kinds, especially if it’s with his son Ben. Learn more about Stephen’s work in student-centered, project-based SEL, career prep, and STEAM learning with StudentUnion and MakerState at www.student-union.org and www.maker-state.com.
AJ Gena
AJ is Psychology graduate serving as a human resources professional with a penchant for efficiency and team collaboration. With a background in prominent organizations boasting 200-1000 employees, AJ brings extensive expertise in areas such as recruitment, employee relations, timekeeping, and benefits administration. Beyond the professional realm, AJ actively participates in an outreach program for an orphanage catering to children with special needs. Outside of work, AJ finds joy in traveling, exploring cafes, engaging in craft projects, and cherishing the company of her dogs, Kimba & Rain. AJ loves to watch TikTok videos and share work-related memes for fun.
Eloisa Melchor
Eloisa is an educator and operations professional with a strong background in programming and STEM education. With more than six years of classroom experience, she equips students with critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, helping them connect theory with real-world application. Alongside her teaching career, Eloisa brings over 20 years of experience in the BPO industry, where she advanced from analyst to team leader and project manager. Passionate about technology, education, and lifelong learning, Eloisa is dedicated to creating engaging, student-centered experiences that inspire curiosity and innovation. A mother of three, she enjoys teaching and playing with kids, watching reels and TikTok, and relaxing with short dramas and books.
Khawaja Awais
Khawaja Awais is a IT Coordinator at Maker-state, bringing a wealth of expertise and a dynamic skill set. A distinguished graduate with a degree in computer sciences, Khawaja boasts an impressive professional journey spanning over 7 years, marked by continuous growth and notable achievements. His proficiency extends across a spectrum of programming languages, including React, C#, and PHP. Khawaja is a certified expert in WordPress web development, underscoring his commitment to mastering cutting-edge technologies and delivering top-notch solutions. Having held key roles as a senior software engineer in multiple esteemed companies, Khawaja has consistently demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills, a keen eye for detail, and a commitment to excellence in every project undertaken. Khawaja Awais is not merely a Web Master; he is a visionary in the realm of web development.
Axel Perez
Axel is a STEAM – Maker Education enthusiast. An Industrial Designer graduated from The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Axel decided to dedicate his life to shape the future of our world by sharing what he knows and loves with everyone. Axel has served as a Maker – STEAM Educator, and enjoyed doing design-based and PBL projects in schools all over the world. Axel has also a LEADERSHIP ROLE as Makerspace teacher and manager in Mexican-based schools such as Olami ORT which is part of the Global network ORT and Tomás Moro Maguey school. Axel really enjoys teaching all kinds of things to anyone curious enough to pursue knowledge to make this world a better place to live, playing football since high school, biking every time he has a chance, acting and doing cosplay and kids shows at some parties as a superhero, prince, or any kind of character, also tried to share a couple of things on social media as “Morzapiens”, tried to learn as much as he can to restore the car that his inner kid always dreames to have, sharing and celebrating the diversity of humanity.
Sona Murgai
Sona Murgai is an experienced educator, project manager, and process excellence leader with a strong track record of designing training programs that empower learners and deliver measurable outcomes. With over 12 years of expertise in Lean Six Sigma and curriculum design, she has developed enterprise-level training frameworks, led large-scale projects, and coached a diverse range of professionals to success. She has collaborated with cross-functional teams, built replicable frameworks, and guided projects from concept to implementation. Passionate about inclusive education, Sona brings her skills in program development, research, and structured planning to create impactful learning experiences for students of all abilities. Sona is also the mother of a young adult on the Autism Spectrum, and she is passionate about learning and contributing to programs that can enable autistic youth to have fulfilling lives and careers.
Tai Hirooka
Tai is a graduate from Harvard Westlake School and has a degree in Integrated Design and Media from New York Tandon School of Engineering. Tai enjoys solving problems, and loves to build products to address those problems, both physically and digitally. Tai has been tinkering ever since she was a kid, exploring everything from LEGO Mindstorms to Arduino boards from age seven. Tai has served as a Technical Assistant at the NYU Makerspace, teaching workshops, maintaining and training patrons on various machines, and designing small projects to improve workflow. Tai also held executive positions in several on-campus organizations, such as Baja FSAE, Rogue Aerospace, and the Chemists’ Club. Masteries: Fusion 360, Othermill, Laser Cutting, Microcontrollers, Graphic Design.
Jisun Zaman
Jisun Zaman is a technology and engineering enthusiast who is currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at New York City College of Technology. Jisun enthusiastically explores many different STEM fields and his passion is plants and animals. He grows and experiments with botany at home and is an environmental activist who is always interested in learning about technology and improving our future on this planet. Jisun is certified in Autodesk Inventor Professional and has great experience in teaching and childcare. Jisun attended Brooklyn Technical High School. Passions: Autodesk Inventor, 3D design, robotics, botany.
Kofi Bosompim
Kofi is an engineering and STEM-education enthusiast pursuing an M.S. in Electrical Engineering at NYU Tandon, focused on embedded systems, signal processing, and building practical systems that connect theory to real-world use. He serves as an adjunct instructor at Queensborough Community College teaching Astronomy Labs and Conceptual Physics, where he also supports Cosmic Ray Data Acquisition research.
Carey Jiang
Carey is a programming and video editing enthusiast currently pursuing his computer science degree at Hunter College. Carey enjoys coding, whether it's for his local high school's FIRST robotics team or coming together with a bunch of friends to create innovative projects; he finds fulfillment in these opportunities to grow as a better programmer. Outside of academics, Carey has always been curious when it comes to trying new things. In fact, Carey's curiosity and determination is what drove him to learn video editing in DaVinci Resolve, which ultimately led to the creation of the Impact Video, highlighting his robotics team's outreach efforts during his time in high school. Carey has also served as a student representative on his high school's student leadership team and has advocated for more student opportunities in both the student government and the equity team. Masteries: Git commands, Google's web-based apps, the Java programming language, Adobe Photoshop and After Effects, DaVinci Resolve.
TJ Killian
Our Mentors
Tai Hirooka
Axel is a STEAM – Maker Education enthusiast. An Industrial Designer graduated from The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Axel decided to dedicate his life to shape the future of our world by sharing what he knows and loves with everyone. Axel has served as a Maker – STEAM Educator, and enjoyed doing design-based and PBL projects in schools all over the world. Axel has also a LEADERSHIP ROLE as Makerspace teacher and manager in Mexican-based schools such as Olami ORT which is part of the Global network ORT and Tomás Moro Maguey school. Axel really enjoys teaching all kinds of things to anyone curious enough to pursue knowledge to make this world a better place to live, playing football since high school, biking every time he has a chance, acting and doing cosplay and kids shows at some parties as a superhero, prince, or any kind of character, also tried to share a couple of things on social media as “Morzapiens”, tried to learn as much as he can to restore the car that his inner kid always dreames to have, sharing and celebrating the diversity of humanity.