Help fund the Jon Carlo Dominguez Scholarship

The Ecuadorian Scholars Fund, honoring the legacy of Jon Carlo Dominguez

From family, friends, and community, the Ecuadorian Scholars Fund will allocate one scholarship to a student of Ecuadorian heritage in New Jersey in memory of Jon Carlo Dominguez, an advocate who showed us the importance of addressing teen mental health. Jon Carlo, 26, was from North Bergen, New Jersey. He graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Sociology and obtained his teaching certificate from Rutgers University. During his college days, Jon Carlo served as an Academic and Civic Teaching Assistant with Freedom and Citizenship at Columbia. Additionally, he was a leader for Columbia Urban Experience (CUE), a mentorship and civic engagement program for first-year students aimed at helping them acclimate to college life. He also served on the board of @Bridge2Brilliance, an organization he co-founded through Alianza dedicated to bringing middle school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to Columbia University to inspire them to pursue higher education.

A proud educator, Jon Carlo was a "Latinos for Education" fellow and a Teach for America Corps member. He had a passion for music, serving as a tenor in his Acappella group Nonsequitur at Columbia University and the Vox choir group at St. Peter's Prep. His students regarded him as someone who went out of his way to make them feel welcome, guiding them carefully and thoughtfully through a civic engagement project on the critical issue of teen mental health.

Beyond his dedication to music and education, Jon Carlo was an active member of the North Bergen Green Environmental Committee and the Bike North Bergen group, demonstrating his love for both the community and the environment.

Through this scholarship, we honor his love for community and his legacy of promoting social justice through the power of education.