The Teresa and Charles Lewis '81 Scholarship

Teresa and Charlie Lewis ’81 grew up a block away from one another in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. Both received help to obtain their Catholic education; for Teresa that was St. Hubert’s and Gwynedd Mercy University, for Charlie it was the Prep. Now, they have funded a scholarship to support students from Philadelphia, and allow students from the city to have the opportunity for an education like they had.

“Terri and I both feel very strongly that our educations have been the keys to any success we have had,” Lewis says. “Along with the sacrifices of our parents, we needed the support of others, to get those educations and it is important to us that we work to make that happen for students going forward.”

As a member of the Prep’s Institutional Advancement Committee, and now the committee for For Others Forever The Prep Campaign for the Future, Lewis is keenly aware of the Prep’s mission and needs.

“A key to solving this country’s income inequality problem is through education,” Lewis says. “Schools with a mission like the Prep can help in that area, but the Prep does not have unlimited funds. We need to increase our endowment to ensure that the school can continue to attract the best and brightest, no matter their financial situation.”

And that is why Terri and Charlie have designated their scholarship for students from Philadelphia. “That is where we grew up so we are familiar with it and know there are needs in the city,” he said. “We could have picked many different areas but this made sense for us.”
Terri and Charlie are so proud of their three children (Maggie, Charlie ’10, and Kristen) and have seen their lives impacted by their respective educations. Now they want to help other families do the same. “That is why we support scholarships and raising the endowment,” he says. “We want the Prep to continue to be the wonderfully diverse community that it is.”
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