Rene LaVigne ’79 Gives Back to his Alma Mater

By Jim Muyo

Rene LaVigne ’79 knows the value of financial aid, so much so that he started not one but two scholarships at Loyola. For Mr. LaVigne, the amount of financial aid he received pales in comparison to that of today’s recipients.

Annual tuition when he was a senior at Loyola was about $1,300 a year. Still, the tuition support that came his way helped him not only to graduate but to extend his education well beyond his classroom experience.

“It wasn’t just being prepared for college,” said Mr. LaVigne, who went on to graduate from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) with a bachelor’s in accounting. “It was being prepared for the world, being prepared for society at large and learning how to navigate through that space and differentiate myself to pursue opportunities for leadership. Loyola was the centerpiece of my career growth and development.”

Mr. LaVigne’s career growth has been impressive by any standard. Upon his graduation from LMU, he quickly joined Ernst and Whinney (today Ernst and Young), one of the largest accounting firms in the world. His 10 years there served as a springboard to senior vice president and president at Sylvest Management Systems/FDC/ Northrop Grumman, from 1993–2003; president and COO of Apptis and now president and CEO of his own firm, Iron Bow Technologies.

Mr. LaVigne’s first scholarship found its roots in his desire to honor Albert Sanford III ’76 “who was like a big brother to me. He had been very giving of himself and I just remember him being an outstanding senior leader when I was a freshman.” He set up that scholarship anonymously and it was designed to help one student per year through an annual gift. His second scholarship is fully endowed to provide quarter-tuition awards to four African American students for their high school years at Loyola. The scholarships are awarded to two merit applicants and two need-based applicants. As each recipient graduates, new students will be chosen. To endow a scholarship at that level, Mr. LaVigne, who grew up in South Central Los Angeles, contributed in excess of $500,000.

“It was being prepared for the world, being prepared for society at large and learning how to navigate through that space and differentiate myself to pursue opportunities for leadership. Loyola was the centerpiece of my career growth and development.”

—Rene LaVigne ’79

“I know there’s a need out there,” Mr. LaVigne says. “There’s a young African American boy that has the tools to matriculate but maybe does not have the financial support. If I can help a kid make it through Loyola and set themselves up for great opportunity in life, I’m happy to do that.”

Mr. LaVigne remains steadfast on how Loyola affected him and can help others today and beyond. “Loyola had everything to do with me excelling in my career, maybe even beyond my dreams.”