Tony Prevatte Creates Memorial Scholarship to Honor His Brother

Gilbert D. Prevatte will be remembered for a long time to come by students at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

A 1979 graduate, Mr. Prevatte practiced law in South Carolina until his accidental drowning in 1999 at Murrell's Inlet, S.C.

With a gift of $5,000 and a pledge of an additional $5,000, Gilbert Prevatte's brother Tony has established a memorial endowed memorial scholarship in his name at UNCP. Tony Prevatte, owner of Prevatte Mobile Home Sales, Inc. in Lumberton, remembers his brother's hard work and sacrifices to pay his way through school.

"He had a struggle, financially, to get through school," Mr. Prevatte said. "We felt like Gilbert would have wanted to ease the financial burden of another hard-working student and receiving this scholarship would help do so."

Tony Prevatte's wife, Marilyn, said Gilbert did not let financial hardship get in the way, but that is not the case for many young people.

"Gilbert drove taxis and anything he could do to pay his way through college and law school," Ms. Prevatte said. "There are a lot of kids who throw their hands up because of the obstacles in the way of a college education. So, this is about creating opportunities."

Chancellor Allen C. Meadors agreed, saying that financial support of scholarships at UNCP has never been as important as it is today.

"We take great pride at UNCP in offering an affordable college education, and we have one of the lowest rates of indebtedness among our graduates in the nation," Chancellor Meadors said. "One of the reasons for our good results is private financial support from good people like the Prevattes."

"The obstacles to gaining a college education are mounting," Chancellor Meadors said. "Because of the state's financial crisis, tuition is going up and the economy of our region is declining, at least in the short term, because of a shifting economy."

For information about this scholarship or other gift programs at UNCP, please contact the Office of Advancement at 910.521.6252.

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