Membership
Open to all currently enrolled CSUSB students. Here's how membership and mentorship work in AIM.
Membership categories
Every member falls into one of three categories.
Mentee Member
Seeking guidance, training, and support in AI, InfoSec, government cybersecurity frameworks, career development, or competition prep.
- Attend meetings, trainings, and mentorship activities
- Communicate goals and progress with a mentor
- Participate in approved competitions when available
Mentor Member
Has experience or skills in AI, InfoSec, frameworks, competitions, or career development and supports Mentee members.
- Approved through a mentor interest form + Cabinet meeting
- Serves as a general mentor or a specific niche mentor
- Helps track mentee progress and mentorship goals
Associate Member
CSUSB faculty, staff, alumni, or community members who support AIM's mission.
- May participate in meetings and activities
- Cannot vote or hold elected office
- Capped at 20% of total membership
Mentor categories
Mentors don't need to be experts in everything. They're matched by strength and focus area.
Technical Mentor
Hands-on cybersecurity, AI, InfoSec labs, tools, and technical skill development.
Competition Mentor
Preparation for IE Mayor's Cyber Cup, NCAE Cyber Games, CCDC, NCL, CPTC, and other CAE Atlas competitions.
Framework Mentor
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, NIST SP 800-53, and other government, industry, or compliance frameworks.
Career Mentor
Resumes, interviews, internships, networking, and cybersecurity career pathways.
Research Mentor
Cybersecurity or AI research, project planning, technical writing, and presentations.
General Mentor
Broad guidance, organization involvement, beginner questions, and study planning.
Cyber Competitions
Mentee and Mentor members train and compete together throughout the year in national and regional cybersecurity competitions.
IE Mayor's Cyber Cup ↗
A regional Inland Empire competition open to CSUSB teams, focused on practical cybersecurity challenges.
National Cyber League (NCL) ↗
Individual and team cybersecurity performance-based challenges covering OSINT, cryptography, log analysis, and more.
NCAE Cyber Games ↗
National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity competition series for student teams.
National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) ↗
Teams defend a live business network against professional red-team attackers in a blue-team format.
Global Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC) ↗
Teams perform a real-world penetration test and deliver findings as a professional security report.
CAE Cyber Competition Atlas Map ↗
Explore the full map of competitions across the country. AIM supports members preparing for any competition listed here.
What's expected of members
All members
Participate respectfully, support AIM's mission, follow the Constitution and CSUSB policies, and help maintain a positive, professional, inclusive environment.
Mentees
Attend mentorship activities when available, communicate with mentors about goals and progress, and participate in competitions when possible.
Mentors
Provide guidance and encouragement, assist with workshops and competition prep, and help track mentee progress through basic mentorship metrics.