How Bloomfield College Graduate Abraham Rubio Turned His Passion For Games Into a Tool for Learning
Graduate Spotlight: From Minecraft mods to a NASA internship, Abraham Rubio’s childhood hobby became a launching pad for a career in software engineering and purpose-driven tech
Posted in: Graduate Spotlights, Homepage News, University
This story is part of a series celebrating app State University’s Spring Commencement 2025 graduates – app who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.
“I grew up on Nintendo,” says Abraham Rubio.
Now a first-generation college graduate, two-time game club president, and former , Rubio has grown into a natural leader and creative software engineer with a passion for using tech to make an impact.
But long before he ever set foot in Bloomfield College of app State University’s computer lab, he was already writing code – not in a classroom, but in his childhood bedroom, creating custom mods for Minecraft.
Modding is how players change or expand a video game’s features. To mod Minecraft, you have to learn Java – a coding language used by professional programmers. At just 10 years old, guided by YouTube videos, Rubio was teaching himself how code interacts with machines.
“At the time, I didn’t understand anything of what I was typing or the value of what I was learning,” he says.
What started as a desire to make his video games more fun ended up teaching him to think like an engineer – solving problems by writing code to build digital tools from scratch.
From Player to Programmer
At Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology, a game development program helped Rubio realize that creating games could actually be a career. One of his teachers, impressed by his drive, recommended that he apply to Bloomfield College – known for having one of the in New Jersey.
When Rubio arrived at Bloomfield, he originally enrolled as a Game Design major. But after realizing he was more drawn to the technical side of the field, he switched to Bloomfield’s Computer Science and Game Programming majors.
His coursework honed his technical skills, but what really stood out was how much he grew through group work and collaborative projects.
“The biggest thing I learned at Bloomfield was how to work with others,” says Rubio. “I learned how to collaborate with people who have different skills than me. I learned how other people communicate and how to communicate my ideas – especially while leading two capstone projects.”
These new skills were put to the test when Rubio decided to bring back Bloomfield’s Game Club – and quickly learned that reviving a student club wouldn’t be easy.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he says.
At first, he tried to handle everything on his own. But as the club grew, so did his understanding of what real leadership requires: collaboration.
To organize larger tournaments and events, he realized he’d need help – not just from his peers, but from departments across campus. One of his most valuable partnerships was with Bloomfield’s esports coach, who offered equipment and logistical support.
“Without him, some of our biggest events wouldn’t have been possible,” Rubio says.
That shift – from going it alone to building a network of support – became one of the defining lessons of his time at Bloomfield.
Over the next two years as Game Club president, Rubio helped grow the team and lay the groundwork for the club’s future.
“Now there’s a full team behind me that will run the club, even after I graduate,” he says.
The NASA Internship: Expanding His Universe
Out of more than 600 applicants to program, only four app were selected. Rubio was one of them.
That’s why he encourages app to apply to big opportunities anyway, even when they seem out of reach. “Don’t reject yourself,” he says. “Let them reject you.”
At NASA, Rubio joined a small, cross-functional team that included another programmer, a UI/UX designer, a project manager and climate scientists. Together, they designed a game to help high school app understand how climate change affects the globe over time.
Rubio’s role was on the back end – incorporating real climate data into the game’s front-end interface in a way that would be understandable and engaging for young players.
The experience opened his eyes to how versatile his skills really were.
“NASA’s not known for games, but they wanted this project,” he reflects. “It made me realize I could apply these skills anywhere. What else can I learn? What else can I move forward with?”
He also discovered the potential of games to be more than just entertainment – they could teach, engage and shift perspectives.
“My game programming background can be used for education,” he says. “I can teach others in an enjoyable way without relying on a textbook.”
A First-Gen Graduate, Ready for What’s Next
On May 8, Rubio will receive his Bachelor of Science in and , ready to use his skills to build more than just games.
He’s proud to join his two older sisters as a college graduate, becoming the third person in his family to earn a degree. “It feels like I’m following in their footsteps,” he says. He’s grateful to them for offering advice and encouragement when he needed it most.
He’s also grateful for his parents, who supported him emotionally, financially and logistically.
“They might not understand a lot of the intricacies of college, but they were there every step of the way,” he says. His parents provided rides to school and helped him get a car and his license.
With his degree in hand, he’s aiming for a career in software engineering – and knows the journey might take time, but he’s committed to the process.
“I know it’s coming,” he says. “It may not be today or tomorrow, but the work will pay off.”
The University will celebrate its graduates at Commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Story by Jayda Brown, University Communications and Marketing
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