“I rose from struggle so I can help others rise too. Anyone who’s lived through hardship carries a strength the world needs.”
Less than one percent of people can say they are both an immigrant and a U.S. military veteran — and even fewer have gone on to earn a Master’s degree. Jon Deras is part of that small group.
Jon immigrated to the United States as a child and later served in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing two deployments — first to Iraq, and then aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, where he traveled to countries including Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, and more. After his service, he transitioned into higher education, community leadership, and men’s work.
He earned an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts with an Emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the College of Marin, a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from San Francisco State University, and a Master’s degree in Migration Studies from the University of San Francisco. Jon has also completed executive-level leadership training through Harvard Business School Online and multiple nonprofit management programs.
Jon is an educator, speaker, and nonprofit leader with more than a decade of experience in healthy masculinity, domestic violence prevention, youth leadership, suicide awareness, immigrant rights, and veteran advocacy. His workshops and programs blend lived experience, academic research, and practical tools that help young men, families, and communities build safer and healthier relationships.
In addition to his nonprofit work, Jon has served on the board of Marin Latino Leaders, published academic research on deported veterans, written a children’s book (Christian ABCs), and launched several entrepreneurial and creative projects. He has been featured in the Marin Independent Journal, appeared in a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline awareness campaign, filmed a PG&E community commercial, and been featured across community podcasts and Spanish-language media such as Telemundo.
At the center of Jon’s mission is a simple principle: breaking cycles and building legacies. His message resonates with young men navigating identity, immigrant families seeking stability, and veterans finding purpose after service. Jon lives in Marin County with his wife and daughter, who inspire much of his work on fatherhood, character-building, and the next generation of leaders.