PSU Innovator Mentoring the Next Generation

One of the key foundations for creating a pipeline toward entrepreneurship and innovation is providing youth with an opportunity to explore this space and witness the possibilities firsthand. In the case of Karelly Ramirez Gonzalez, this was her exact goal with the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program (VIL).

Ramirez is currently an undergraduate student at Portland State University studying Physics and Chemistry. Ramirez started her journey in entrepreneurship and innovation through the Cleantech Challenge with her team Regener8. A fuel cell company focused on providing a higher energy density solution than any other energy solutions on the market.

Having won the Cleantech Challenge in the Spring of 2021, Regener8 moved forward and competed in the 2021 Invent Oregon competition. A state-wide competition organized by the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship focuses on providing college and university students mentorship and education to refine their inventions.

While they didn’t take home the top prize, the experience introduced Ramirez to some of the additional programs offered by the Center for Entrepreneurship. She found a new opportunity to create impact and change in her community through a leadership role within the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program.

The partnership between Portland State University, Verizon Innovative Learning, and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) began in 2021 with one goal: to address barriers to digital inclusion. Knowing the impact of VIL, Ramirez decided to join as a Program Instructor.

As a Program Instructor for VIL, Ramirez has been working with youth from all over the Portland-Metro area, many of them from underserved communities. With her support, she’s been instrumental in facilitating learning in topics such as coding, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D design. She is inspiring and mentoring the next generation of innovators to explore STEM fields, showing them the many different career paths that exist in science, technology, engineering, and math.  

Following Ramirez’s time as a Program Instructor for VIL, she continues to work toward finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Chemistry. If you are interested in learning about The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program for summer 2023 - Sign up here for more information.