Nijmie Zakkiyyah Dzurinko, 32, is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Student Union.  She began with PSU in 1999 as the lead organizer for the Bartram chapter and one year later became PSU’s assistant director.   After leaving in2003 to work on international human rights issues she returned in 2006 to revive the organization. Nijmie was raised in Western Pennsylvania by her steel worker grandparents.   She began her activism when she wrote an essay at the age of 9 reflecting on the role of unions in improving workers lives for which she received a $50 prize and a speaking engagement at a local state park. She went on to become a youth organizer, challenging racism at her school and engaging her peers in opposing the first Gulf War.   She attended the University of Pennsylvania,graduating with honors in 1997.  She went on to volunteer with Americorps national service program, where she assisted teens from North Philadelphia to build community gardens under the mentorship of Iris Brown and tutored young people in an after school program at Norris Square Neighborhood Project.  In 2006, Nijmie received her Masters in Urban Studies from Temple University, where she received the prestigious University Fellowship.   Nijmie has conducted popular education,strategy, and anti-oppression trainings for a number of groups and organizations including Fellowship Farm. She co-founded the Media Mobilizing Project in 2006.  Nijmie has been living in West Philadelphia for 16 years.

Erika Almiron, 31, is the Assistant Director of Philadelphia Student Union. Erika was born in Philadelphia, is a first generation Paraguayan American and lived in Brooklyn for several years before returning. She founded the first Latino Student Organization at her high school in Norristown and gave life to the Latino organization on her Penn State campus when she was president. After college she worked at Planned Parenthood in Coatesville where she worked primarily with Latina women on issues from pre-natal care, options counseling, and interpreted at their HIV/AIDS clinic. During that time Erika spoke at many colleges and universities on the issue of Latino youth and sexuality. She went on to document the prison conditions on the Paraguayan/Brazilian border and also the living conditions for Maquiladora workers on the Mexico/US border through photography. Upon her return she did political education workshops at Riverside Correctional Facility with youth incarcerated as adults through teaching students Spanish, music and poetry. She began organizing in the city with various groups through the Media Mobilizing Project and is on the board for a leadership development organization fighting against gentrification in North Philadelphia. She is the current organizer for the Overbrook and Bodine chapter.

Fred Pinguel, 22, is an activist and organizer with the Philadelphia Student Union.  He was a member of the Philadelphia Student Union in high-school and worked to secure adequate funding for Philadelphia public schools.  Between the campaign for school funding and the privatization fight against E.M.O.’s, Fred saw and came to believe the collective power of youth. These experiences at P.S.U. have led him back to the organization after college to put his energy and skills toward the improvement of Philadelphia Public Schools.

Megan Williamson, 25, is an organizer with Philadelphia Student Union focusing on our school funding campaign and our youth-produced radio show, On Blast.  She has a BA in Women's Studies from the University of Michigan.

Iliyaas Muhammad, 28, is the West Philadelphia High School Chapter Organizer with the Philadelphia Student Union. He served forty-four (44) months in Mali, West Africa as a United States Peace Corps volunteer. Iliyaas graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a Business option. He is looking forward to making a strong contribution to the Philadelphia Student Union and the Philadelphia community.

Jacob Winterstein, 23, is the Development Director and an alumnus of the Philadelphia Student Union ('04). He worked for two years in William Penn High School's Student Success Center co-leading a mentoring program. Jacob has taught poetry, performance, acting, rapping, public speaking and leadership development workshops in many different capacities for young people in prisons, schools, universities, community centers, summer camps and non-profits.  He is committed to developing creative ways for the students, staff, supporters and board members of PSU to be involved in fundraising.

Luis Gauthier, 33, is the IT and Fiscal Manager and also the Music Project Coordinator for the Philadelphia Student Union.  He first became involved in youth development initiatives when he joined Youth Advocate Program, Inc. in 2001 as an advocate working with “at-risk” youth committed by the court system. Having worked as an advocate with YAP, Inc. for 3 years, Luis realized he had more to offer by way of multi-media and business workshops and activities. In 2003, he was hired by a small community based non-profit agency as a multi-media instructor for their after-school program. During that time he also assisted in the production of a morning radio show, Jonesy in the AM, which broadcasted on 103.9 The Beat (now 100.3 The Beat). In 2004, he organized and hosted several youth talent competition at Franklin Mills Mall in order to promote positive self expression via the creative arts. In 2006, he was hired as an activities coordinator at a Beacon program located in the North Philadelphia section. In this position, Luis utilized the opportunity to develop some very exciting programs and organize various successful events for 400+ students in the Philadelphia School District. Soon after leaving the Beacon program, he founded his own non-profit organization, Productions in Progress, specializing in business and multi-media programming for “at-risk” youth. In 2000, Luis graduated cum laude from Temple University’s Fox school of Business earning a BBA in Accounting. On the flip side, he has always had a passion for music and has been producing and engineering in a studio environment since 1993. Luis grew up in North Philadelphia and has been actively engaged in the community. He has been involved in various committees and many community based initiatives, including the 2008 “Back to Basics” event as well as several block cleanups. He is a dedicated father of two little boys and has pledged to be a role model and mentor to the youth in his community.