Jon Charette

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Jon’s passion for travel, cross-cultural immersion, and experiential education was ignited in 2015 when he attended the Island School, a semester
program in Eleuthera, Bahamas. After high school, Jon leapt into the Novagratz Bridge Year Program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia run by Where There Be Dragons. While in Jogja, he collaborated with Project Child Indonesia to coordinate intern and volunteer programs providing after-school education to elementary and middle school students. The profound experiences Jon had in Indonesia (not to mention the mouthwatering local cuisine!) have drawn him back to Southeast Asia time and again.

In 2022, Jon returned to Indonesia on a Princeton scholarship to work as a 2D artist with Labster, an education-technology company in Sanur, Bali. The following year found him in the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he joined Van Aelst Nguyen & Partners’ concept generation team, designing parks, museums, and high-rises throughout Vietnam. These rich cross-cultural experiences have profoundly shaped Jon’s academic focus on how architecture and the built environment influence social outcomes.

When not sketching designs or exploring new cultures, Jon can be found chasing waves while kitesurfing, carving fresh powder on his snowboard, or seeking untouched backcountry terrain on ski tours. These adventures embody his travel philosophy: diving deep into environments rather than just skimming the surface – whether that’s mastering a local language, forging meaningful
connections, or finding the hidden food stall with the best satay in town.