When Ralph Craviso FCRH ’69 LAW ’73 was deciding what form his donation to Fordham Law might take, he determined he wanted to contribute in a way he could “relate to on a more personal basis.”
Craviso decided to fund a named scholarship that would provide crucial financial support for students to attend Fordham Law School. He was first connected with Carolyn Egervary ’25 when she was an incoming 1L from Montana with aspirations of practicing law in New York City. During her legal education at Fordham, she benefited significantly from Craviso’s generous support.
“I’ve always invested in people,” said Craviso. “This reflects my interest in the scholarship program. When I was in the corporate sector, and even when I was consulting, my commitment was always to find talent and develop it.”
Once a semester, beginning in Egervary’s 1L year, the two would meet for coffee and discuss school and career challenges and triumphs, with Craviso sometimes offering advice from his wealth of experience.
“It was really nice to have somebody in my corner who had extensive experience in the legal field and who I felt comfortable asking about random things,” said Egervary.
“I found the experience extremely rewarding,” said Craviso. “It’s the satisfaction of watching an individual as they grow and develop and as they have their successes. I don’t take credit for it—it was all Carolyn and her own native talents and how she worked—but it was fun to be a part of that process and to see her succeed.”
Craviso, now retired, spent nearly 30 years in labor relations and in the corporate sector, working in the airline industry, telecommunications, and later starting his own consulting company in performing arts administration.
Craviso says that Fordham Law was not only where he “learned the law,” but also where he “learned how to think like a lawyer,” which he says was instrumental to his career. “I did not go the law firm or law firm route. I went through corporate labor and employment work, and the Law School was a key reason why I had success in my career,” he said. “Every course reinforced this idea of taking issues and problems, working through them and finding solutions, and working your way through the law to determine the best course, or in some cases, challenging the law and changing it.”
Egervary said the scholarship was a deciding factor in choosing Fordham Law, relieving some of the financial pressure at the start of her legal journey.
“It was just nice to know that I wouldn’t have to take out as significant loans as I would have without it,” she said. “That’s something that can bring a lot of stress and worry, so it definitely alleviated some of that concern.”
Egervary graduated this spring and will begin a position as an associate in the litigation group with Alston & Bird in September
“I think for both of us, it was a great opportunity to foster a mentor-mentee relationship. I’m really grateful for that experience,” she added.