From Whangārei to Memphis, Rueben Jones arrived in the United States with dreams of playing professional soccer. Four years later, he graduated with an engineering degree, multiple internships, a full-time engineering career, and a future that looks very different from the one he originally imagined. Soccer opened the door. What he built beyond the game has changed his life.
For many young athletes considering the U.S. college pathway, the dream is simple: earn a scholarship, play at the highest level possible, and hopefully take the next step into professional sport.
That was Rueben's dream too.
Growing up in Whangārei, New Zealand, soccer was always a major focus. He captained the First XI at Whangārei Boys' High School, achieved Academic Excellence across NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3, and balanced leadership responsibilities as a House Captain while continuing to develop as an athlete.
Like many student-athletes, he saw the United States as an opportunity to pursue both sport and education. While engineering interested him, it was initially viewed as the sensible backup plan to his ambitions on the soccer field.
"I came to the States to become a professional soccer player," Rueben reflects. "Engineering was something I was interested in, but it was always there as a Plan B."
That mindset is common among ambitious athletes. The difference is that Rueben was wise enough to build a strong academic foundation alongside his sporting goals.
That decision would prove crucial.
When it came time to choose a college, the objective wasn't simply to play soccer in America. It was to find a university where he could pursue a demanding engineering degree while competing at a high level.
Christian Brothers University in Memphis offered exactly that. The NCAA Division II program provided a competitive soccer environment, while the university's engineering program offered the academic challenge and industry connections he was looking for. More importantly, it provided options.
The reality of the college pathway is that some athletes will ultimately make a long-term living from their sport. The athletes who thrive are often those who use their sporting talent to create opportunities beyond the field. At the time, Rueben didn't fully realise just how important that would become.
During his freshman year, just as he was beginning to earn meaningful minutes and establish himself within the team, disaster struck. Rueben tore his ACL.
For any athlete, it is one of the most devastating injuries possible. For a young player chasing professional aspirations, it can feel like everything has been taken away overnight.
"It was probably the worst injury a soccer player can have," he says.
The timing made it even harder. He was beginning to gain momentum, earning opportunities, and feeling closer to his goals.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The injury sidelined him for an entire season and forced him into a long rehabilitation process that lasted close to nine months.
While physically challenging, the mental battle was often even harder.
Athletes recovering from long-term injuries frequently experience frustration, isolation, and uncertainty. Watching teammates continue to progress while your own journey is paused can be incredibly difficult.
Looking back, however, Rueben recognises that he was in the best possible environment to navigate that challenge. His surgery was performed by the same surgeon who worked with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. The university covered his treatment, and he had access to world-class rehabilitation facilities, physiotherapists, coaches, teammates, and support staff.
"It was the worst possible injury in the best possible situation," he says.
The experience taught him resilience, patience, and something else entirely unexpected. It helped him discover a new passion.
With soccer temporarily removed from his daily routine, Rueben found himself investing more time into other areas of university life. He joined engineering societies, attended competitions, became involved in projects, and started immersing himself in the academic side of his college experience.
One event in particular stood out: participating in the National Steel Bridge Competition. For the first time, engineering wasn't simply a backup plan.
It became something he genuinely loved.
"That year made me realise engineering was actually what I wanted to do," he explains. "I discovered I was more passionate about it than I ever expected."
The injury that initially felt like a setback became a turning point. Instead of seeing engineering as an alternative to soccer, he began seeing it as a career he was excited to pursue.
When he returned to the field, he still competed with the same passion and commitment. He went on to start and play significant minutes throughout his junior and senior years, earning Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week recognition and logging over 2,100 minutes during his college career.
But his vision for the future had changed.
By graduation, Rueben had achieved something many student-athletes struggle to accomplish. He had fully committed to both. While competing in NCAA Division II soccer, he completed one of the most demanding academic degrees available, earned Silver Buc Scholar honours, and secured four engineering internships.
Those internships included:
Each opportunity expanded his understanding of the industry and strengthened his resume before graduation. Importantly, he approached every opportunity with a mindset that many international student-athletes can learn from.
As someone hoping to remain in the United States after graduation, he understood he would need to stand out.
International graduates face additional hurdles when seeking employment. Many companies do not fully understand visa pathways or sponsorship opportunities.
Rather than seeing that as a disadvantage, Rueben used it as motivation.
"I didn't want to give employers any reason not to hire me," he says.
His injury had already shown him that relying entirely on professional sport was risky. From that point forward, he attacked his academics and career development with the same intensity he had once reserved solely for soccer.
In May 2025, Rueben graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Today, he works in the United States as a Heavy Lift Engineer. The scale of projects he is exposed to continues to amaze him.
From nuclear facilities to major industrial infrastructure projects, the opportunities available have far exceeded anything he imagined when he first left New Zealand.
"People talk about America being the land of opportunity," he says. "For me, that has absolutely been true."
The financial opportunities are significant, but for Rueben, the biggest difference is the exposure. The projects, industries, technology, and professional networks available have accelerated his development in ways that would have been difficult to replicate at home.
Through his engineering qualification, he has secured work opportunities, international experience, and a career pathway that continues to grow.
And perhaps most importantly, he has choices.
What makes Rueben's journey so valuable is that it reflects the reality for the vast majority of student-athletes. The U.S. college pathway is not only about becoming a professional athlete. It is about creating opportunities.
Sometimes sport remains the destination. Sometimes sport becomes the vehicle that transports you somewhere even better.
For Rueben, soccer provided access to an education, internships, professional networks, lifelong friendships, international experiences, and ultimately a career he loves.
Looking back, he describes the experience simply:
"Platform Sports changed my life."
Not because they helped him become a professional soccer player. Because they helped him access opportunities he didn't even know existed when he first boarded a plane to America.
If there is one message Rueben would share with current student-athletes, it is this:
Keep an open mind.
The opportunity in front of you may not look exactly like the dream you originally imagined.
An injury might change your direction.
A new interest might emerge.
A different career path might reveal itself.
That doesn't mean the journey failed.
In many cases, it means the journey succeeded in ways you never expected.
For families considering the U.S. college pathway, Rueben Jones' story is a powerful reminder that scholarships are about far more than sport.
They are about creating options, building futures, and opening doors that can shape the rest of your life.
Soccer got Rueben to America. Everything that happened afterwards is why his story matters.
If you are a student-athlete or parent trying to understand the U.S. college pathway, start with a conversation. Platform Sports can help you understand your options, your timeline, and what the right fit could look like.
