UNCW Alumnus John Scholz ’84 and Dr. Anil Mohin Establish Endowment for LGBTQIA Resource Office, Fund Office’s Expansion

The University of North Carolina Wilmington has received a major gift commitment from alumnus John Scholz ’84 and his spouse, Dr. Anil Mohin, to aid UNCW’s efforts to support diversity and inclusion on campus.

The gift will support the university’s LGBTQIA Resource Office by providing funding to expand services and much-needed space. The office’s current location in Fisher University Union will be expanded to allow for flexible programming space for student meetings, breakout sessions, co-programming or to function as a conference room. There will also be an area for a staff office, quiet study or meetings, as well as a welcome area near the office’s entrance.

Because of the couple’s generosity, the UNCW Board of Trustees approved the naming of the office as the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Office on July 17. Scholz and Dr. Mohin recognize the importance of supporting equity, diversity and inclusion in education.

“This support should go hand in hand with the high goals set for academic recognition rankings. It serves as a foundation for all students to feel accepted and cared for, which further grows the chances of success for those students and for the institution itself,” Scholz said. “I want UNCW to succeed, and I feel this is one path toward that success.”

Scholz and Mohin have been longtime supporters of the university. In addition to UNCW’s LGBTQIA Resource Office, the couple has supported many other organizations including the Los Angeles LGBT Resource Center, GLAAD, Outfest and The Trevor Project, where Scholz currently volunteers as a lifeline counselor.

“This is a good place for this kind of endowment, which will benefit more people who would otherwise be suffering in silence,” said Dr. Mohin. “This LGBTQIA Resource Office, for me, is to help everyone to breathe and not have to suffocate in ignorance, in lack of education, in lack of compassion or in silence.”

“Many people describe our gift as ‘generous’ but I genuinely don’t look at it that way. To me, this donation is bigger than Anil and myself,” said Scholz, who serves on the UNCW Board of Visitors. “It’s about helping the next generation, extending a helping hand to lift them up the next rung of ladder, in hopes they will climb past us to achieve further progress and extend their hand to the next generation after them. I feel fortunate that Anil and I are in a position to further this process.”

The couple worked closely with the UNCW Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and the Division for Advancement to bring the LGBTQIA Resource Office expansion project to fruition.

“We are extremely grateful for the generous gift provided by John and Anil,” said Brooke Lambert, director of the LGBTQIA Resource Office. “As a direct result, we have been able to expand our space to allow more of our students, faculty and staff to access the space and access community that it inevitably builds. The Mohin-Scholz gift has opened the door to student leadership and mentorship opportunities, and will truly serve generations of students. We are excited to see where this leads us.”

Scholz, who was raised in New Bern, NC, received his bachelor’s degree in business from UNCW in 1984. He was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity and the Sigma Alpha Beta Honorary Business Fraternity.

Scholz moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for several years in legal and business affairs at Paramount Pictures then Universal Studios. He became a member of one of the first LGBT business associations, the Valley Business Alliance, where he served as membership chair and secretary. He studied journalism and screenwriting at UCLA and went on to work in entertainment journalism conducting celebrity interviews, writing entertainment news articles and covering red-carpet events.

Dr. Mohin studied at Delhi University and upon graduation was accepted at the highly respected University College of Medical Sciences. He came to the U.S with the dream of being a practicing physician. He continued his education in New York and upon passing his medical boards moved to California. He began practice at Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles. After passing his cardiology boards, he joined a private practice near Hollywood as their cardiologist. Dr. Mohin has a thriving cardiology practice in Beverly Hills.

Scholz remembers growing up feeling like he didn’t quite fit in. Looking back, he realized that to a great extent, it was due to his sexual orientation, which at the time he struggled to understand.

“I know firsthand how a positive college experience can undo the damage caused by this early lack of tolerance and acceptance,” he said. “It can really be life changing, and that’s why I feel it’s important to expand on the work that UNCW has already started.”