A new annual scholarship will support students pursuing comedy, entertainment and content creation at John Carroll University, courtesy of 2019 graduate Marcello Hernandez, known for his performances on Saturday Night Live since joining the show in 2022.
The Bo & Tom - Marcello A Hernandez ‘19 Scholarship was funded by Hernandez to support one senior student every year. Herndanez will also mentor selected students, according to a JCU announcement.
The scholarship is named after partners Bo Smith and Tom Roche, who were visiting professors at JCU while Hernandez studied there. Roche died in 2020.
“I had a lot of great professors at John Carroll and Bo and Tom were an amazing tandem that made a huge impact on my career,” Marcello said in a statement. “I am eternally grateful for their guidance and mentorship and I am so proud to create this fund in their names so that their collective legacy lives on for generations.”
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Hernandez has become a breakout star of SNL, earning attention for his roles in sketches centered around bridesmaid dances with Ariana Grande, an overprotective mom with Pedro Pascal and a Dune popcorn bucket with Ayo Edebiri.
While he studied at JCU, Hernandez hosted a comedy show called Marcello Live. Like this one featuring Bill Squire, Gabriella Kreuz and the university’s a capella group, episodes can be viewed on YouTube. He also worked as a production assistant for Cleveland’s Accidental Comedy Festival in 2017 and as an intern at Hilarities in 2018 and 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“We are grateful to Marcello for his continuing engagement with John Carroll University and our students,” said JCU president Alan R. Miciak in a statement. “His talent on stage and in front of the camera is matched only by his generosity in mentoring the next generation of entertainers and leaders. His perspective, work ethic, and real-world experience will benefit each recipient of the Bo & Tom - Marcello A. Hernandez ‘19 Scholarship.”
Find more details about his scholarship at jcu.edu.
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