In Honor of Immigrant Heritage Week: Ramon Lugo’s Journey from the Dominican Republic to NYCHA

When Ramon Lugo came to the United States in 1987, he did not intend to stay.

At the time, he was in law school in the Dominican Republic. A missed registration deadline left him with an unexpected gap semester, and he decided to spend six months in New York before returning to continue his studies.

“I came here thinking I would stay for six months and then go back,” he recalled. “But I got a job, I started going to school — and somehow, I never left.”

Nearly four decades later, New York is not just where Mr. Lugo has built a distinguished career – it has become his home.

After arriving at age 22, Mr. Lugo enrolled at Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he studied English as a second language and got involved in BMCC student government. A scholarship allowed him to continue his education at Columbia University for several semesters, before a growing interest in technology led him to shift his focus.

“I wanted to study political science at first,” he said. “But computers were starting to emerge; I really found them interesting and liked working with them.”

That decision set him on a new path. He went on to earn a degree in computer science from Brooklyn College, as well as a master’s degree in management and systems from NYU, laying the foundation for a career in information technology right here in the Big Apple.

Before joining NYCHA, Mr. Lugo worked at Saint Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside, Queens, where he heard colleagues speaking passionately about the rewards of public service — bringing their technical skills to directly support the communities they cared about. That idea never left him.

In 2000, he began working with NYCHA as a consultant; in June 2001, he became a full-time employee. Today, Ramon Lugo serves NYCHA as a Computer Specialist – and has now spent fully a quarter-century supporting the Authority’s operations.

For Mr. Lugo, his IT career is part of a larger commitment: to contribute meaningfully to the city that gave him his start.

“The United States has always been a beacon, a place of opportunity,” he said. “A place where you can grow, where you can build something through your own effort. People around the world feel this way. I certainly felt that way, and that is the way it always ought to be.”

That sense of possibility in coming to the United States shaped not only his own journey, but also that of his family. As its first member to come to these shores, Mr. Lugo later helped bring his sister, her husband, and their children to New York, helping open the door for them to pursue their own education and careers.

“I was able to go to college here, get my degrees, and build a life,” he said. “And then I was able to help my family do the same. It has been a tremendous gift.”

A longtime runner, Ramon Lugo served for many years as president of the NYCHA Running Club
and has completed numerous marathons, including the Berlin Marathon

Today, his extended family is firmly rooted in this city, contributing to the communities they are part of and continuing to build futures of their own.

“We work, we pay taxes, we’re part of the community,” Mr. Lugo said. “We’re not here to take — we’re here to contribute and make our lives in this amazing city and this country.”

Over the years, Mr. Lugo has also found connection and community through activities beyond his professional role. A longtime runner, he served for many years as president of the NYCHA Running Club and has completed numerous marathons, including the Berlin Marathon.

But for all the milestones along the way—academic, professional, and personal—it is the broader arc of his journey that stands out.

He arrived expecting to stay for six months. Instead, he stayed and built a life – for himself, and now for his family.

“This is home,” he said. “I came here, I studied here, I built my career here. My children were born here — this is what they know.”