It's easy to picture Peter DeGiglio '73 in his room at Brennan Hall, a Ski Kansas poster on the wall and four or five other students gathered around telling stories and making plans to visit the hangouts that then populated Wichita. It's also easy to imagine that DeGiglio, who possesses an enviable wit and unassuming demeanor, was often at the center of attention during those collegiate times.
To hear him tell it, he made the best of those years. Maybe that's why he's helping young students prepare for college life through his post at Random House in New York City.
DeGiglio began his tenure with Random House in 1979 as a budget manager and director of budgets and planning before being promoted first to chief financial officer and then to vice president, director of business operations in 1986. In 1996, he became the publisher of the company's test-prep imprint, Princeton Review Books, an endeavor he clearly takes pride in. "We publish 75-80 titles a year including reprints. I love it. Parents write to me and say, 'Thank you for helping get my (child) into college.' Students write me and say, 'I wanted to get into Princeton and I did.'"
Although he admits he initially had little interest in publishing, he's quick to note that's changed. "I miss school and this is like still being in college," he says. "I love it. It feels great to be doing something worthwhile."
— Jedd Beaudoin
