On Monday, Feb. 19, Pizza With the Pros welcomed back Rowan University alumni and Senior Content Manager Jon Lavengetto. Lavengetto graduated from Rowan University in 2014 and currently works in production for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans.
Lavengetto is a two-time Emmy Award Winner and five-time Nominee, most recently winning Best Sports Editor in 2023. He has more than 10 years of experience in video production for professional sports teams. He also has experience in all major sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and MLS.
Even though Lavengetto had been making videos since he was 15 years old, he had no idea what he wanted to do for a career when he was in high school.
“For a long time, I thought I was going to the Coast Guard and following my Dad’s footsteps. I loved math and science and thought I was going to be an electronic engineer,” said Lavengetto.
After graduating high school, Lavengetto spent two years at Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC). When attending ACCC, he found his love for making videos. When he realized that there was a market for it, he began attending Rowan University.
When Lavengetto attended Rowan, he played ice hockey for the club team until he tore his ACL. After the injury, Lavengetto was fully committed to following his dream of editing for professional sports teams. He owned his own camera and would work on his own projects. This helped him get an internship with the Philadelphia Flyers, the team he grew up being a fan of.
Shortly after he graduated, Lavengetto would work for the MLB in Manhattan. It was a 30-hour part-time job that required him to drive from his home in Cape May, all the way into New York every day.
Working for the MLB helped Lavengetto get his foot in the door. He went from working with the New Jersey Devils to working with the Carolina Panthers, and eventually getting to where he is today, working with both the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans.
When the students got a chance to ask questions, one student asked Lavengetto what his biggest challenge was.
“The biggest challenge is time management. Kind of just making sure we are executing everything on time. Sports is a very fast-moving, fast-paced environment,” Lavengetto said.
Lavengetto spent a lot of his time talking about his commitment to his job. He mentioned how he doesn’t get to see his family even on holidays and is always traveling. Lavengetto’s commitment and work ethic showed every student in the room what it takes to reach your goals.
Next week, Pizza With the Pros will be welcoming Spike Eskin, who is the VP of Programming for WFAN and CBS Sports Radio.
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