P ROFIL E |
JEN A. MILLER
SHARING HIS DREAM
A
nthony Ciavaglia ‘77 got his start in computing early. He took computer courses while a
and turned it into sales jobs for a few different companies
marketing student at Seton Hall, at a time
in the computer industry. That gave him a sightline to the
when “we had to use the IBM punch cards,”
potential future of personal computers.
he said, referring to how computers used to be programmed using thick cards with holes
But instead of selling products for someone else, he and a partner decided to sell their own. His experiences
punched into them. The holes formed a binary code
as a student and as a four-year member of the Pirates
that told the computer what to do.
football team, which he joined as a walk-on, showed him
Those cards had to be put in exactly the right order for the program to work. Heading to one class, he dropped them on the way to the computer lab. “The order got all messed up and I got a D on that particular project.” But he didn’t give up. In fact, Ciavaglia turned
that it was worth it to take risks. “I was always considered a person with a ‘go get ‘em’ attitude,” he said. In 1993, they founded RTP Technology, an information technology software provider and data storage company. “We hit the sweet spot of the IT industry,” Ciavaglia
knowledge of a then nascent industry into his own
said. “Personal computers weren’t a popular thing
business and a lifelong career. Now he’s giving back
then, but they’re certainly a major part of everyday life
to the Seton Hall community through the endowed
now.” In 2019, the company was acquired by Mainline
Ciavaglia Scholarship to be given to one sophomore,
Information Systems.
junior or senior business student a year. “There are a lot of people with the same dreams I had.
Ciavaglia decided to endow a scholarship to make sure that it would be available to students decades from
I want to help them,” said Ciavaglia, who, along with his
now versus a one- or two-time thing. He also directed
wife, Linda, has three children and three grandchildren.
the scholarship be given to students who were in their
In non-pandemic times, the Emerson, New Jersey,
second, third or fourth years in order to give a boost
resident attends Seton Hall basketball games.
to someone who didn’t necessarily excel in high school,
“There’s nothing like helping a local university that also happens to be my alma mater. It’s an investment in those students, and our community.”
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After graduating, Ciavaglia took his marketing degree
but who is blossoming at Seton Hall. “A lot of students may not be superstars early on, but they show great promise once they start working
