Bain Scholarships will support UNCG Athletics, master of public affairs
UNCG alumnus John Bain and his late wife, Anita, recognized higher education as the key to success in life. Now John is honoring Anita’s memory by helping ensure Spartans will succeed for generations to come.
John graduated in 1975 with a BA in political science and a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) in 1977. Although not a UNCG graduate herself, Anita developed a special affection for the University, and the couple had discussed creating student scholarships sometime in the future. Anita’s sudden death in 2021 spurred John’s decision to move forward with what he knew would be his wife’s wish: the Anita and John Bain Athletic Endowment Scholarship and the Anita and John Bain Endowed Scholarship.
John’s love of UNCG athletics began when he was a member of the campus’ first intercollegiate Men’s Soccer team in 1971. At the time of their marriage, Anita was not a sports fan, but that changed when she became friends with Lynne Agee, former UNCG Women’s Basketball head coach, whom John had gotten to know while serving on a UNCG planning committee. Though the couple’s attendance at Spartan sports events waned during their child-raising years, their support remained steadfast. In more recent years, the Bains were enthusiastic Men’s Basketball game attendees, with Anita decked out in full Spartan gear.
The Anita and John Bain Athletic Endowment Scholarship supports Spartan student-athletes in Women’s Basketball, Men’s Soccer, or Women’s Soccer. Freshman Men’s Soccer forward Gabriel “Gabo” Mentrup hails from Berlin, Germany, and is the scholarship’s first recipient. Coach Chris Rich discovered Gabo via a contact in Germany. After reviewing his portfolio and game videos, Rich determined that he would be a good fit for UNCG and offered him the scholarship. Gabo has spent much of his first semester here acclimating himself to a new country and UNCG’s campus. Rich describes Gabo as “a thinker,” and sees in him the high level of character expected of those who wear the Spartan jersey.
The second scholarship John created to honor Anita will support students seeking a Master of Public Affairs degree in the Department of Political Science. The mission of the MPA program at UNCG is to prepare pre-service and develop in-service students for leadership and professional positions serving the public.
For ten years after completing his own MPA at UNCG, John worked as town manager of Gibsonville, North Carolina. He then earned his juris doctor at Wake Forest University and went into private practice in Kernersville, specializing in municipal law. John credits his MPA and decade of municipal experience with his success as an attorney.
In addition to her distinguished business career with Hanes Hosiery, Sara Lee Business Services, and eventually BB&T, Anita was active in the community. Her volunteer service included the Women’s Fund and the Little Theater of Winston-Salem. Supporting the work of the disparate agencies with which she was involved, she especially appreciated the value and effectiveness of well-trained and motivated staff members. John knew she would have been thrilled to help support MPA program students through the Anita and John Bain Endowed Scholarship, especially those with a special interest in nonprofit management careers.
“We are grateful to John for choosing UNCG as the steward of Anita’s legacy,” says Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Beth Fischer. “These scholarships are a wonderful tribute to Anita and the Bains’ many years of supporting our University.”
Visual: John Bain ’75, ’77 MPA and his late wife, Anita Bain