GYM Mentors

Founding Mentors

Micaeli (Cakie) Dym

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Micaeli realized that one of the things that young children needed was someone to talk to and rely on during uncertain times. At-risk students were falling behind in academics and had been left without the resources and skills to thrive in a virtual world. Therefore, she decided to create a virtual teen mentoring program where teens would be paired with younger peers from lower income communities who needed assistance with homework or someone to talk to on a weekly basis. Micaeli collaborated with adult advisors to ensure prospective mentors were trained in providing academic and social-emotional support to their peers. Over the course of a year, this program has evolved into what is now the Generational Youth Mentors (GYM) program, a collaborative initiative backed by STEAMpark, Mount Sinai, and Social Creatures. Micaeli now serves as a STEAMpark liason for the program and is so excited to continue developing the GYM program to help level the playing field for children across the world.

When building the Generational Youth Mentors Program, it was important to us to work closely with the community for which this program was created. In pursuit of that, we reached out to a community program called STEAMpark, Inc. to partner with high school and college students who are knowledgeable about the needs of diverse communities. Below are the executive officers of the STEAMpark Teen Board who were our program's first mentors and whose input has made them invaluable members of our team.

Aarya Doshi

Aarya is a junior at High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ. She began working with STEAMpark in 2017, helping in the classroom as an instructional aide in the Keansburg After School program and outside the classroom as a member of the teen board. Currently, she is a computer science instructor for the STEMgirls program, teen board co-president, and mentor for the Generational Youth Mentorship program. In her free time, Aarya likes to play music, walk her dog, and lift weights.

Rayan Jawa

Rayan is a junior at Holmdel High School in Holmdel, NJ. He enjoys playing the viola, volunteering, and doing research. Rayan is a student at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege program, and principal violist of the New Jersey State Youth Orchestra and New Jersey Youth Symphony. Since eighth grade, he has been involved in STEAMpark as a classroom aide and as a Teen Board member. In his free time, he likes tutoring at Remote Learning Initiative and listening to his grandfather’s growing record collection.

Mala Shah

Mala is a junior at Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, NJ. She has been working with STEAMpark since 2017. In the past she has worked as an instructional aide in the Keansburg After school program. Mala is currently working as a mentor for the Generational Youth Mentorship Program. Mala spends her free time baking/cooking and she loves to dance. She is passionate about nutrition and all things health related, and is currently working on an app to help teens with self-care.

Sophia Risin

Sophia is a sophomore at Stanford Online High School from Rumson, NJ. She is passionate about science, philosophy, and educational equality. Sophia is an NCWIT certificate of distinction winner and a published researcher in astronomy and statistics. After seeing the power of academics in her own life, she has been inspired to use these experiences to help others. She has worked at STEAMpark since sixth grade, both in the classroom and as part of the teen board. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, going on walks with her dogs, and learning new things.