Game-Changer: How Bloomfield Helped Turn a Love of Video Games into a Law Career
Studying game design and programming, Ciara Donaldson ’24 found the mentorship, community and real-world experience at Bloomfield that set her on the path to video game law
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Ciara Donaldson ’24 never imagined she could turn a love of video games into a pathway to law school. At Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, that unexpected turn became her plan.
“I came for game design, but Bloomfield helped me discover I could rewrite the rules of the game as a lawyer,” she says.
Through Bloomfield’s internship program, Donaldson landed a role where a supervisor casually mentioned that some lawyers specialize in video game law – an eye‑opening moment that showed her she could turn her interest in games into a future legal career.
Double majoring in Game Programming (BS) and Creative Arts & Technology (BA) with a concentration in Game Design and Development, Donaldson gained both creative and technical skills. Ranked nationally by The Princeton Review as a top undergraduate game design program and No. 2 in New Jersey, Bloomfield gave her the foundation for internships and opportunities to present her research at national conferences.
The community, the support and the things I was able to accomplish at Bloomfield changed what I thought was possible for myself.”
From the beginning, Bloomfield was the place that made sense, Donaldson says. “It was strong in my major, affordable for my family and close enough that my parents in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, could still see me.”
Like many students at Bloomfield, she credits the college’s close‑knit community with making a real difference – from small class sizes and easy access to professors to strong peer connections across diverse backgrounds and faculty mentorship that helped her grow more confident.
Today, as a Help Desk Analyst with the New Jersey Courts in Trenton, she is gaining hands‑on experience in the legal system while preparing to begin law school at Widener University Delaware Law School.
“Bloomfield brought me out of my shell and showed me I could achieve things I never thought were possible.”
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Since Bloomfield College officially became Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, students have gained expanded academic options, more student life activities and access to Montclair’s resources while still keeping their home base on a smaller campus. Learn more about Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.