Dr. Anthony J. DeCarlo '77 is the co-founder and CEO of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. Located in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, Red Bank Veterinary ranks as one of the country's largest, premier and privately owned veterinary hospitals. Dr. DeCarlo earned his bachelor of science degree from Ramapo College in 1977 where he majored in biology and earned his doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982.

When asked about his most memorable experience at Ramapo College, Dr. DeCarlo humbly stated, "getting into Ramapo."

He added, "I had a bad academic track record and my grades weren't good enough to get into Ramapo." Dr. DeCarlo is grateful for the admissions director who recognized his desire to study veterinary medicine and encouraged him to try a few classes to ease the transition. He responded by signing up for four challenging science labs and performed quite well. Dr. DeCarlo was soon accepted to Ramapo College as a matriculating student. Another memorable experience was taking his first exam with Dr. Saiff. He thought he had done poorly on the test and spent his whole weekend thinking he failed the course. He fondly remembers Dr. Saiff looking over his glasses and telling him not to worry; he got an A, the highest grade in the class.

What would Dr. DeCarlo advise the next generation of Ramapo College students? "You've got to follow your passion. If you ignore your passion, the job won't be fun and you won't do well. If you follow your passion, you will be successful in more ways than just money." Dr. DeCarlo further advises students: "on a practical level, wherever you go in your first job or school, develop relationships first and don't show off what you know. Your first task in any job is to develop relationships."

Dr. DeCarlo believes that if you are in college, you should recognize that you have had many breaks in your life. "There's no way you would have arrived at this point in your life without help and you should strive to give back either financially or through personal involvement."

When asked about the reason for including Ramapo College in his will, Dr. DeCarlo said simply, "Giving back is just what you do. It doesn't make sense not to give back to Ramapo Collegee. There's no question that Ramapo was the best school for me. They gave me a chance. Obviously, I took part and worked hard but they gave me the opportunity to succeed. I had been a poor student and didn't like school. I benefited tremendously from the smaller classes and personal attention."
Why a bequest? Dr. DeCarlo stated: "When you recognize how someone or some entity has helped or changed your path, it makes sense to include them in your will. My reason for including Ramapo College in my will has nothing to do with taxes or planning, it comes purely from the bottom of my heart."

Dr. DeCarlo received the Presidents Award of Merit from Ramapo College in 2010, and was an honoree at the The Ramapo College Foundation Distinguished Citizens Dinner in 2011.