Amerika, an accounting graduate, innovation fellow,founder,mentor, leader,inventor and tech enthusiast, aspires to contribute to the advancement of humanity.She is currently pursuing her own technology based startup that will soon change the way people live their lives. She is greatly involved in many campus organizations some of which include: Titan Chess, Institute of Navigation (ION),Society Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Engineers, and Sigma Upsilon Mu. Her passion for growing organizations and helping others succeed, landed her in the roles of treasurer, public relations, vice president of sponsorship/corporate relations and vice president of marketing for these organizations. In addition, she has received great recognition at the California State University of Fullerton (CSUF) for her efforts. Amerika, serves as a mentor for The National Startup League and STEM Inc. at CSUF. Amerika is a self-driven young woman that knows no limits and takes it upon herself to learn everything she can. From coding, to 3D modeling software, she has a passion for learning and is not afraid to take risks. On her journey, she hopes to inspire our youth to follow their dreams no matter how crazy they may seem.
Together, Cal State Fullerton engineering and business majors and junior high students used their imaginations and created these — and more — innovative products and inventions.
They got creative with over-the-top ideas, pitched concepts, developed business plans and built prototypes to solve real-world problems as part of CSUF's "Strategies: Science, Technology and Engineering Mini-Business Incubator" project.
Known as STEM-Inc, the after-school project with Anaheim Union High School District is funded by a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to advance STEM learning among underrepresented junior high students.
"The goal is to make junior high school students and their parents aware of STEM fields and career paths by involving them in exciting, real-world projects focusing on engineering, computer science, business and entrepreneurship concepts," said Jidong Huang, associate professor of electrical engineering, who is directing the three-year project, which continues this fall.
Critical thinking, teamwork and entrepreneurship were integral aspects of the students' products and inventions, presented earlier this month at a STEM-Inc Project Showcase at the school district.
It was the intentional blending of engineering, computer science, business and entrepreneurship that faculty leaders hoped would appeal to the young students, said Huang, adding that the teens readily relate to today's famous entrepreneurs, many of whom also are engineers.
Student mentor Amerika Bernal, a business administration-accounting major, said it was the merger of engineering and business that intrigued her.
"This program exposed me to a much different field than mine, and it gave me an understanding on how engineers work," said Bernal, who aspires to start her own company. "Entrepreneurship and engineering are fields that I am deeply passionate about, and to have the opportunity to mentor our youth to be business savvy individuals, is a
Bernal told students that with a lot of creativity and determination, it is possible to make a significant impact in the world by pursuing a STEM field."I also hope I inspired them to follow their hearts and pursue their dreams with all they've got."
Titan Innovation is a movement of students from various departments at Cal State Fullerton working together to produce Industry level projects at a Collegiate level. With the intention of bringing students from multiple disciplines together to solve problems within our community.
Six months after completing the Epicenter University Innovation Fellows program, Cal State Fullerton business majors Amerika Bernal and Cristian Sanchez are staying focused and on task, creating student connections and collaborations on projects throughout campus.
"We returned to campus to break down the natural barriers between the University's colleges, bring students from all across campus together to work collaboratively and, ultimately, to enhance campus innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and venture creation," said Bernal, a senior developing her own sound technology company.
"Amerika Bernal is an extraordinary person. As her adviser, I have seen many examples of her talent and have long been impressed by her diligence and work ethic.
She has outstanding organizational skills. She is able to successfully complete multiple tasks with favorable results despite deadline pressure.
As part of a semester-long team project, she developed a business plan for an innovative business concept focused on noise reduction. She not only headed the project, she ensured its success by demonstrating leadership abilities that her teammates both admired and respected. She has the ability to work with all types of people, which I consider a rare skill. People like Amerika and trust her. She is sincere and honest---this is recognized by her peers and by me. Amerika adheres to a strict personal code of ethics. This awareness and intention empowers her to make the right decisions, whether they big or small"
John Bradley Jackson
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship
