Fowler Student Produces Prize-Winning COVID-19 Safety Video

Beans & Jake: Bonifacio's Boston terrier, Beans, demonstrated social distancing in the video. 

In July 2020, San Diego State University, in partnership with the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), held a contest where they invited students to submit 15-30 second public service announcement (PSA) videos that emphasized the county’s public health guidelines for COVID-19.

A committee of SDSU faculty, San Diego County HHSA staff and Associated Students representatives reviewed each of the student submitted videos that emphasized preventative measures against the spread of the virus.

On August 18, SDSU Fowler College of Business student JakeBryan Bonifacio was named as one of three contest winners. Bonifacio, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a senior majoring in marketing produced a 30-second video underscoring the importance of hand washing, wearing a face covering, and maintaining a 6-foot social distancing space.

Bonifacio became aware of the contest through social media and was intrigued by the opportunity to submit an entry. “With the negative impact that COVID-19 has made to the community, I felt compelled to share a positive approach to adhering to proper safety guidelines in order to fight the spread of the virus,” he said. While it was Bonifacio who led the hand washing and face cover demonstrations in the video, his Boston terrier, Beans, was the star of the social distancing demonstration.

Bonifacio and the other two winners each received Apple AirPods for their efforts. Their PSAs will be posted on SDSU’s and the County of San Diego HHSA’s social media outlets to encourage adherence to the county’s public health guidelines.