At first, Ballén pursued a career in architecture and went to study abroad at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and at Columbia University.
Pada awalnya, Ballén berkarier dalam bidang arsitektur dan pergi untuk belajar di luar negeri di Institut Teknologi Stevens di Hoboken, New Jersey; di Universitas Wisconsin–Madison dan di Universitas Columbia.