Turning an Interest in Gaming into a Career

Major: Digital Media Technology

Class of: 2018

We live in a day and age where technology runs our daily lives. Some may try to limit the amount of technology in their lives, while many others choose to accept it. Kirk Coronacion, of Lincoln Park, embraces it. A digital media technology major at County College of Morris (CCM), Coronacion knew from a young age that he wanted to be surrounded by science and technology. In high school he took as many science classes as he could. “I came to college wanting to do biomedical engineering,” says Coronacion. “But after taking a few classes, I knew that I would be unhappy with that career choice.” So he opted instead to unleash his side hobby into a true passion. That is his interest in games and technology. He even started a YouTube channel, JigsawFlex ( https://m.youtube.com/c/JigsawFlex) to review the latest tech gadgets and build an audience. “I’ve been doing it since my freshman year of high school,” says Coronacion. “My inspiration is Captain Nintendo Dude (CND). His dedication to his job makes me want to be just like him.” Coronacion got his inspiration from CND from his famous quote, “Nothing is awkward unless you think it’s awkward,” meaning people shouldn’t be afraid to pursue their passion. His first goal when making a YouTube video isn’t the number views or likes he wants to get, but rather getting information about a product out to the public for their personal knowledge. His hope is that his YouTube channel will take off and he’ll become better known in the technology industry, allowing him to land a full-time job at a tech company. Coronacion says he picked CCM because he knew he would receive a great education while saving lots of money. “I was accepted into Rutgers and Seton Hall but decided not to move out. Why would I go to a four-year school and waste money when I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study?” After graduating CCM, Coronacion wants to attend either the Newhouse school of Communications at Syracuse University or Northeastern University to pursue his bachelor’s degree in communications or TV and film studies.