How this Warner Robins pageant queen turned a tragedy into her life’s work
Gillian Pritchett decided to educate people about the harms of driving under the influence of alcohol after three car crashes involving a drunk driver directly impacted her and her family.
The one that finally convinced her to do something about drunk driving happened when she was 12 years old.
“My favorite first cousin was killed by a drunk driver that we actually knew, so that’s what really impacted my life, and I wanted to make a difference in my community and across the state of Georgia through that platform,” she said.
Pritchett has an even larger platform to promote her #DriveWise campaign after winning the 2019 Miss Georgia Forestry pageant in Tifton on June 15. Pritchett said she is preparing for the U.S. National Forestry Pageant on August 31.
Pritchett, of Warner Robins, received a $2,500 scholarship for winning the pageant. Pritchett is entering her senior year at Wesleyan College where she is majoring in early childhood education with a minor in reading and history, she said.
Throughout the next year, Pritchett said she will be working with the Georgia Forestry Commission to go to events and elementary schools to educate people on forest fire prevention and taking care of the environment, as well as the hazards of drinking and texting while driving.
Pritchett’s #DriveWise campaign has a Facebook page called Be Accountable #DriveWise through which people can contact her with any questions.
“I’m so excited and very honored to be the queen for the state this year to be able to represent the oldest pageant system in the state of Georgia,” she said. “It’s really an amazing opportunity to get to travel the state and to make a difference in my community and beyond.”
Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver Award
Navicent Health Emergency Medical Services received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver Award for improving the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks, according to a news release.
“People in our region are at increased risk for heart attack, and Navicent Health EMS is well prepared to respond to these situations. Our teams are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for heart attack patients by utilizing the Mission Lifeline initiative,” said Jason Brady, director of Navicent Health EMS. “I’m pleased that our EMS teams have been recognized for their dedication to patients and achievements in the field.”
Buzzell, Welsh & Hill Scholarship
Buzzell, Welsh & Hill, a personal injury law firm, awarded its first scholarship of $2,500 to Adrian Robert Thomas, Jr., according to a news release.
Thomas graduated from Twiggs County High School and is pursuing a marketing degree from UGA’s Terry College of Business, according to the release.
The scholarship is awarded to a student once a year who wins an essay contest. In the essay, the student writes a law that would help decrease automobile accidents, according to Buzzell, Welsh & Hill’s website.
“We know it has become incredibly difficult for students to pay for the higher education they often need in today’s working environment,” said Stephen Welsh, managing partner at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill, on their website. “We want to help make it possible for anyone—no matter their financial circumstances—to achieve their professional potential.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
Former Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, a resident of Milledgeville, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daily Report’s annual Georgia Legal Awards dinner on June 20, according to a news release.
The award honors those who have left a lasting imprint on the legal community, according to the release.
Thompson was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1994 and was elected by his colleagues as the Chief Justice in 2013.
This story was originally published July 1, 2019 at 7:00 AM.