Greenbrier High School Community Coping With Tragedies

Columbia County, GA—It’s been very tough for these past few months, for the Greenbrier High School community. Two students have died, and now one is fighting for her life.

Doctor Margie Hamilton is the principal at Greenbrier High School. She says the entire Greenbrier family is holding on with love and precious memories, after losing three students within just three months.

Dr. Margie Hamilton, Greenbrier High School principal: “All of these that we are talking about today, are some of the finest examples of role models.“

Christopher Smith died after drowning at Wildwood Park, at Lake Thurmond, last week. Dr. Hamilton says Chris was one of a kind.

Dr. Hamilton: “He was one of the young men who came down the hall, he was smiling, he never had a negative word to say, or just gracious and funny, and very, very funny.“

A few days later, Haley Van Pelt was involved in a horrible car accident not to far from Greenbrier. As of Friday, she was listed in critical condition at MCG.

Dr. Hamilton: “It will take a while for her to recover, but we’re certainly in prayer for that.“

And, just this past April, Eric Marshall, who graduated in 2003, died after he collapsed while playing basketball at the Warren Road Community Center gym.

Dr. Hamilton says the school is already preparing to deal with students’ grief, when school starts in the fall.

Dr. Hamilton: “We have a staff of counselors, we have 5 counselors here, and the Central Office will make available extra adult psychologists.“

Dr. Hamilton says she is looking into starting a fund for the families who lost a loved one.