Aidan Tan

Class of 2028

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite Food: Roti Canai

Aidan is passionate about STEM, baseball, and creating inclusive opportunities for children with autism and learning differences. A dedicated baseball player, he looks up to Shohei Ohtani not only for his extraordinary talent but also for his humility, work ethic, and sportsmanship. Off the field, Aidan shines in robotics and hands-on engineering, always eager to build, tinker, and troubleshoot, whether it’s a complex mechanical system or his latest Gundam model. Having grown up with close friends on the autism spectrum, Aidan is especially driven to expand STEM access for underserved youth. He has a natural connection with kids and is a favorite at STEM workshops. Whether he is mentoring a young builder or fine-tuning a code, Aidan brings warmth and a deep belief that everyone deserves the chance to discover their potential.

Brandon Liu

Class of 2029

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite Food: Ribeye Steak & Potatoes

Brandon is an outdoor enthusiast, potato loving and interested in finance, STEM, and debate. He thrives on the energy of a fast-paced Lincoln Douglas debate and the thrill of building something from scratch (even if it takes 6 iterations to get his epic launcher just the way he wants it!). He founded Dollar and Sense to make financial literacy fun and approachable, leading hands-on workshops that help youth learn real-world money skills. Whether he’s debating current events or guiding kids through a STEM challenge, Brandon enjoys learning through doing. He’s all about creating interactive spaces where kids can build skills and confidence at their own pace.

Audrey Tan

Class of 2030

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite Food: Peking Duck

Audrey is a creative mind who loves bringing ideas to life through various forms of art. Whether she’s sketching on her iPad or crafting by hand, she thrives on making. Outside of art, Audrey enjoys playing softball, storytelling, and leading STEM activities at workshops, where she inspires kids to explore through creativity. When she noticed that her school lacked the extracurricular opportunities available at other middle schools in the district, Audrey founded the Code Masters Club to make coding and robotics more accessible. She successfully secured a district education grant to purchase LEGO Spike Prime kits, giving students hands-on tools to learn and build together. Audrey is passionate about blending art and STEM to help others express themselves and imagine new possibilities.

Vanessa Rosario

Class of 2030

University of California, Santa Cruz

Favorite food: Anything with noodles

Vanessa is ready to bring creative communication and active outreach to people in WOW! That’s STEM. Pursuing Neuroscience, STEM is a huge part of their life and goals. Their background includes volunteering at local hospital and nursing home, providing care and support to patients and residents. They have also managed local small businesses’ social media accounts and worked with Mind4Youth for their marketing internship. These experiences fueled their drive to help with WOW!’s outreach and creative efforts. Outside of academics, they are a dedicated flautist and artist. Their favorite place is the beach. Vanessa wanted to join WOW! to inspire people of all backgrounds and to create a lasting impact in the STEM community. They are excited to not only elevate WOW!’s reach and strengthen its volunteer ecosystem but also to continue growing as a leader who connects, empowers, and brings diverse groups of people together.

Tram Anh Ton Nu

Class of 2018

George Mason University

Favorite food: Egg tart

Tram Anh loves reading, writing, and learning languages. She studied six throughout her life, though that’s not to say she is fluent in all of them. 😀 She used to work as an entertainment reporter! As to why she was interested in joining WOW! That’s STEM, she loves learning and is a huge supporter of education in general. Having exposure to a wide variety of activities can really shape a person’s future, so she loves the organization’s mission of bringing STEM education to kids of different backgrounds. Through her involvement with WOW!, she hopes to use the skills she has to help the organization communicate its message to more people.

Leonor Ayala

Class of 2027

Union County Magnet High School, Roselle Park, NJ

Favorite food: Chocolate Lava Cake

Leonor has a passion for anything hands-on, from making arts and crafts to building LEGOs. She believes hands-on projects are one of the best ways to understand how things work. Aspiring to be a civil engineer, she hopes to use her creativity to improve everyday life in the future.

Romir Uppal

Class of 2028

Montgomery High School, NJ

Favorite food: Sushi

Romir Uppal is passionate about playing the viola and swimming, showcasing his diverse interests and talents. Romir is also the founder of the CTSTEM Montgomery branch, where he teaches mathematics, demonstrating his commitment to promoting education and fostering a community of young learners. He has received the President’s Award for Volunteering, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the community. Additionally, Romir is bilingual, further highlighting his diverse skill set and ability to connect with a broader audience.

Stacey Vallary Omondi

Class of 2024

Kisumu National Polytechnic, Kisumu city, Kenya

Favorite food: Chapati and peas

Stacey is the founder of VAwithStacey, a virtual assistance brand, and SmartEating with Stacey, a nutrition education platform. She holds a Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kisumu National Polytechnic and has completed the ICTA AI Champion Training Program, which equipped her with digital skills including AI automation, data analysis, and Canva. Her interest in content creation started with a practical need: she had to build content for her own brands, and that need turned into a genuine skill and a habit of curiosity about how to explain things clearly. That same curiosity shows up in her volunteer work. She recently created a full Instagram carousel on academic burnout versus healthy productivity for the MindBridge Project, a youth mental health initiative. She’s drawn to topics she can make simple without making them shallow, whether that’s nutrition, admin systems, or mental health. Stacey wants to be part of WOW! because it sits at the intersection of the two things she already builds every day: content that teaches, and curiosity that gets people to pay attention. She’d like to bring that same instinct, taking something technical and making it approachable, to help young people see STEM as something they can engage with rather than something distant.

Eaindra Zaw

Class of 2030

Arcadia High School, Arcadia, CA

Favorite food: Strawberry Smoothie

Eaindra is passionate about volunteering and aspires to make a meaningful difference in the future. She enjoys collaborating with her peers and finds joy in reading and writing. Known for her love of socializing, Eaindra values teamwork and effective communication. Her favorite food is strawberry smoothie, which reflects her cheerful and vibrant personality.

Tapasya Pandiyan

Class of 2028

Sri Chaitanya Techno School, India

Fav Comfort Food: Domino’s garlic bread and pasta

Tapasya’s interests bridge the gap between computer engineering and quantum physics. She loves quantum computing and focuses on building technical models within the field. Her experience includes writing and publishing an independent research review investigating how cholesterol assemblies can enhance spintronic systems for future hardware components. Attending UC Berkeley’s Reyes summer program Python4Physics and qiskit global summer school. She has deployed as app called pocket drs on streamlit which was done out of her love for cricket and programming and helping to bridge the gender gap in cricket.

Alongside thousands of undergraduate and postgraduate students, she was selected as a high school contributor for GSSoC 2026.As part of the leadership team, Tapasya aims to leverage her open-source development and research background to expand localized STEM engagement, streamline technical frameworks and make advanced computing concepts accessible to students across India.

Ricky Li

Class of 2029

Arcadia High School

Favorite Food: Smoothie & Chips

Ricky possesses an optimistic nature that always lifts the spirits of those around him. He enjoys playing table tennis competitively and has a deep passion for STEM, debating, and the social sciences. The fast-paced excitement of table tennis and the intensity of spar debates help him thrive. Ricky co-founded the science club at his school to introduce middle schoolers to various fields of science and to inspire them to explore their scientific interests further. Whatever he is doing, he never forgets to bring a smile to others’ faces and always uses his positivity to lead STEM activities with enthusiasm.

Samantha Vu

Class of 2027

Stafford STEM Magnet Academy, TX

Favorite food: Avocado smoothie 

Samantha enjoys graphic design and doing arts and crafts in her free time. She likes to find ways to be creative, whether it’s digital or hands-on. Crafting helps her relax and reset after a busy day. Samantha was our first creative talent at WOW! That’s STEM and continues to contribute to all things creative for the organization.

Shreya Shetty

Class of 2028

Green Hope High School

Favorite food: Biryani

Shreya is interested in becoming a graphic designer in the future, as that was always her dream as a kid! Ever since she was little, she has always enjoyed creating art (whether its painting, drawing, or digital) and designs. In her spare time, she enjoys playing instruments and watching her favorite shows.

She was intrigued by WOW! That’s STEM due to it being based around STEM activities. As someone who plans to pursue a STEM major, and volunteered as a member for various STEM organizations, she felt that this organization would be the perfect fit for her. It resonates with her goals and interests, as well as her strengths!

By being part of the social media team, she hopes to expand the outreach of this organization through her designs and creativity and let others get to know how fun and engaging STEM can be!

Samantha Moran

Class of 2028

University of California, Los Angeles

Favorite food: Quesadillas

Samantha is an enthusiastic and diligent individual who is excited to be part of the WOW! team. In her free time she enjoys exploring different sceneries, trying different restaurants, and capturing her day to day through photographs. She has a strong interest in the digital aspect of marketing and hopes to pursue media marketing within the style and beauty industry. Through her creative projects, Samantha hopes to promote inclusion within WOW! and bring more involvement and a stronger sense of belonging in the STEM community.

Ava Chen

Class of 2030

San Jose Charter Academy

Favorite food: Trader Joe Sweet Plantain Chips

Green Hope High School 2028
Cary, NC
Ava joined WOW! That’s STEM to create a stronger sense of community and help others by contributing her time utilizing her art skills. She currently volunteers to make letters and drawings for hospice patients. Ava is in Yearbook club, Advanced Art Club, and Broadcasting. She is very into media related hobbies, including photography and videography. She also plays both recreational and club soccer. In her free time, she likes to watch tiktok and play roblox games like Adopt Me and Spelling Bee. 

Giselle Ramirez

Class of 2025

University of California, Riverside

Favorite food: Any pasta

Giselle enjoys watching movies and shows on her time off. As a creative-driven person, she enjoys creating a wide range of content, including YouTube videos, graphic designs, and social media posts. By the end of her college year, she pursued her passion for marketing (specifically in the creative area), which motivated her to find a career within that field. She’s gone from being a digital marketing intern for a Korean skincare company to a social media marketing intern at an agency, and now works full-time as a Creative Specialist at a marketing agency. She hopes she will get to reach anyone and everyone through her creativity through WOW! 

Fun Fact: Giselle has three dogs, a cat, three bunnies, and a guinea pig!

Difei Gao

Class of 2025

New York University

Favorite food: McDonald’s fries with sweet & sour sauce

Difei is a designer and technical artist who creates visuals and immersive experiences. She enjoys collecting and playing vintage vinyl records and DVDs. She’s also a big fan of theatre, detective stories, and mystery shows. Her reason of joining WOW! That’s STEM is that as a graduate of a STEM program, Difei would like to help more girls discover and connect with STEM at an earlier age than she did.

Paulina Renteria

Class of 2021

University of California, Riverside, Los Angeles, CA

Favorite food: Tacos

Paulina is a digital marketing enthusiast and cat lover who thrives at the intersection of creativity and technology. She is passionate about all forms of creative expression—from photography and music to graphics and fashion. She is eager to join the WOW! Team because she loves learning, pushing creative boundaries, and promoting education in today’s digital era. 

Kyle Oyama

Class of 2025

Pepperdine University

Favorite food: Pepperoni Pizza

Kyle is an Eagle scout and has extensive experience working with youth as a summer camp counselor at Los Angeles Botanic Gardens for 6 summers as long as serving as a tutor for youth in all ages. Science has always been one of Kyle’s core interests. He hopes to use his knowledge of medical and scientific principles to help others understand the world they live in and their own health. He joined the leadership team of WOW! That’s STEM as he believes science education is not only crucial to early education, but can be extremely fun. WOW! combines these qualities and helps kids explore important scientific concepts through exciting activities.

Sienna Rho

Class of 2028

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite food: Mendocino Farms Prosciutto and Chicken Sandwich with no basil pesto and chicken on the side

Sienna loves drawing, writing, baking, sewing… if it can be made, she loves to make it. She is also deeply interested in biology and ecology. Sienna has had a lot of experience working with kids, especially in an educational setting, as she brings leadership and creative skills to WOW. She loves making bread and playing frisbee! As a short, relatively unathletic girl in sports, it’s been fun to find a sport where she feels like she can excel and find acceptance. Sienna would like to contribute her skills in art and design and experience working with and leading children. She thinks that more awareness and education around biology and ecology would be beneficial in this society, learning about urban solutions to climate change and global warming.

Qiqi Li

Class of 2029

Arcadia High School

Favorite food: Well-made sandwiches

Qiqi is a high school student passionate about STEM education and community outreach. She enjoys helping students build confidence by making complex ideas more approachable. She joined WOW! That’s STEM because she believes mentorship and hands-on learning can spark curiosity and a sense of belonging in STEM. She is deeply grateful for the opportunity WOW! That’s STEM has given her, through which she has developed strong communication skills and grown significantly both personally and academically.

Aiden Hwang

Class of 2027

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite Food: Noodles

Aiden has had a love for math and science ever since elementary school and he has continued to explore STEM in high school. Some of his particular interests include chemistry and calculus. As a youth leader at WOW, he hopes to bring and share these same interests at in-person workshops to students in the Los Angeles area. Planning the curriculum around learning and engaging with new science concepts is the most important step for many to step into the amazing world of STEM. His lessons will used by other WOW! That’s STEM chapters across the nation. Outside of WOW, some fun facts about him are that his favorite food by far is noodles, and he especially likes the azure shade of blue!

Daniel Rosales

Class of 2029

Downey High School

Favorite food: Chicken Wings

Daniel is a focused high school freshman with a strong interest in both football and science. A proud fan of the Denver Broncos especially #2 Patrick Surtain. Beyond sports, Daniel is passionate about pursuing a career as a medical scientist, driven by a desire to solve real-world health challenges through research and innovation. A fun fact about Daniel is that his favorite food is chicken wings- he enjoys trying different flavors and never turns down a chance to have them on game day.

Daniel joined WOW! That’s STEM to be part of a community that encourages curiosity, learning, and leadership. As a mentor, this aspiring medical scientist hopes to inspire younger students to explore the world of STEM with confidence and excitement. Through this role, Daniel aims to make a positive impact by helping others recognize their potential and discover the endless possibilities.

Jacqueline Chow

Class of 2029

Flintridge Preparatory School

Favorite food: Mac and cheese

Jacqueline is an avid reader and probably one of the biggest Percy Jackson nerds you’ll meet. She thrives on all things creative, especially writing, music, dance, visual art, and photography (what she lacks in skill she makes up for in enthusiasm!). Jacqueline wants to be an author when she grows up. She also loves nature and the outdoors, and finds almost everything interesting because she loves to learn. Jacqueline joined WOW! because she likes working with kids and seeing their joy and energy when taking on WOW! challenges. By being a part of the WOW! team, she hopes to help inspire kids to think in new ways that amaze and empower them! Don’t be afraid to talk to Jacqueline if you see her! If she seems unfriendly, that’s just the vibe she gives off—it’s unintentional. She promises she’s not that scary!

Caden Lo

Class of 2026

Temple City High School

Favorite Food: Pho

Caden is a creative student with a passion for mechanical engineering, robotics, and origami. As a member of his school’s Robotics Club and different personal projects, he enjoys both teamwork and hands-on problem-solving. With a love for engineering, Caden is excited to help students in their own creative endeavors.