Ruben was born and raised in Aztec, New Mexico, and he graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in 2024. A first-generation college student, Ruben double-majored in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. Ruben comes from a multicultural background—his father is Native American, and his mother is Hispanic—and he was active in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society during his college career. His senior project involved designing, testing, and building an overhead inductive wireless electric vehicle charging system.
At NMSU, Ruben participated in a co-op internship through the university’s Physical Science Laboratory. Specifically, he was subcontracted by the Navy, which had a detachment at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Ruben worked on 5G multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems, setting up beacons and gaining large-scale project understanding. He also gained insight into the operation of the Department of Defense and saw a rocket launch into space. In addition, Ruben worked on developing a portable telemetry system that can be transported to anywhere in the world.
In his spare time, Ruben likes to mountain bike, run, and play chess. He also wants to start competing in triathlons.