Dominic LaCarrubba

Dominic—most people call him Dom—LaCarrubba is proud to call Sussex County, New Jersey home. Dom grew up in the 1980s and ’90s surrounded by family, woods to explore, and a small-town community that shaped who he am. Life was simple: hiking, camping, and wrestling at High Point, where he was a scholar-athlete.

Dom started college at Stockton University, where he met Nicole—who would later become his wife. They eventually transferred to Rutgers, graduated in the early 2000s, and began their corporate careers—Nicole with IBM and Dom in sales. Their work took them from New Jersey to North Carolina, back to New York, and eventually to Florida. But along the way, he realized something important: sales didn’t align with his heart. Dom had always felt called to teaching. So he earned my Master’s in Education and transitioned from sales executive to trainer, and finally into the classroom.

When they returned to New Jersey to start their family, Dom entered the Alternate Route to Teaching program. His first job was as a Basic Skills Instructor in the very classroom where he had once sat as a fifth grader—a true full-circle moment. Shortly after, Dom became a fourth-grade teacher. Twelve years later, he's still in that same classroom, and he still loves it.

Nicole and Dom have lived in Sparta, New Jersey for over five years with their two children, who are thriving in the town’s schools and athletic programs.

Last year, Dom decided to challenge himself in new ways. Within the span of two weeks in April, Dom accepted a mentorship invitation with the Modern Classroom Project and was recruited to run for the Sparta Board of Education. With a healthy dose of apprehension, Dom jumped into both. Dom spent the summer campaigning and training, and by October, both journeys were in full motion.

Then life changed—fast.

His dad entered hospice and passed away within days. Two weeks after his funeral, Dom was outside one evening when he noticed his dog had something in his mouth that he shouldn’t. Dom moved to stop him; he ran. Dom tried to cut him off by jumping over a low bench along my deck—but chasing dogs is a young person’s game. The toe of his slide caught the bench, and he went face-first onto the concrete surrounding our pool.

Dom didn’t realize how serious it was until he looked in the mirror. The left side of his face had collapsed. An ambulance ride and two days in the hospital revealed multiple fractures: a shattered cheekbone, broken orbital wall, crushed eye, and fractured sinus. After waiting a week to ensure his eye could withstand surgery, he underwent a three-hour operation to reconstruct his face with a titanium plate.

Then came the harder part: recovery. Along with the facial trauma, Dom was dealing with persistent post-concussion symptoms from a traumatic brain injury. Dom had to step away from my classroom for more than two months and completely downshift from his usual breakneck pace. He also stepped back from campaigning just days before the election. The timing felt impossibly cruel.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Dom had to let go. Dom had to release control and trust others to carry things forward.

Four months later, Dom is back in my classroom. Physically, the scars are barely visible. The emotional ones are quieter—but meaningful. Thanks to his family, colleagues, and friends, Dom was able to heal. And thanks to the systems and independence his students had built through the Modern Classroom Project, their learning loss was minimal. They all picked up almost exactly where they left off.

Oh—and Dom won his Board of Education seat. Sitting at that dais feels like another full-circle moment: a student, a teacher, a parent, and now a policymaker.

It’s been a year of loss, resilience, surrender, and growth—and Dom is still learning every day what it means to lead, to serve, and to heal.