Over the past several months, Gainesville High School Principal Jamie Green witnessed up close just how the tragic death of senior Jeremy Medina impacted his teachers, students and the local community.
The 17-year-old’s death after a freak batting cage accident in November left a gaping hole in the hallways of the school, Green said. Even with their lives forever changed, grief soon turned to action as they looked for ways to keep Medina’s legacy alive.
Through their efforts, outside kindness and good timing, the teenager will now be remembered though a scholarship announced Monday in his name, the second student given that honor in the history of the school.
“There are a lot of educators who knew and loved Jeremy, and it’s been difficult for everyone in our school,” Green told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday morning. “For the scholarship to be provided for Jeremy and for us to see one of our students be the beneficiary of that, I think it’s going to bring a lot of joy.”
According to Gainesville City Schools, the Jeremy Medina Memorial Scholarship will be awarded each May to a student who embodies his hard work, character, athleticism and academic excellence. Medina was a pitcher and catcher on the 2022 baseball team.
On Nov. 20, he was struck in the head by a bat at the school’s batting cages and fell into a coma. After 13 days in the hospital, he was declared brain dead. He died Dec. 11.
School administrators and Medina’s family said the injury was accidental. Medina leaned into the net of the batting cage at the same moment a batter swung, and he was hit by the batter’s follow-through. Green said the incident involved “no horseplay, no misconduct and no intent.”
Initial discussions about a possible scholarship were held by a committee led by students and staff, the principal said. They were then approached by someone who worked for Kawasaki, who happened to have ties to the local baseball community and was moved by Medina’s story.
“We said, ‘Well, your timing is impeccable, because we’re having discussions now,’” Green said.
The company decided to donate a red Kawasaki Brute Force 300 ATV to the school, which is being raffled off April 15 to help fund the scholarship. Each ticket is priced at $25, while five will cost $100. Officials said all of the proceeds will go toward the scholarship fund. The school is also accepting private donations.
Once the scholarship was official, Green spoke with David Medina, Jeremy’s father, who shared his appreciation for the outpouring of support, both locally and across Georgia.
Students also pitched the Medina family on creative ways to honor the teen during graduation May 17. A tribute written by his family will be included in the yearbook, which will be delivered in early May and include senior pictures taken of Medina before the accident.
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Green said the family’s work on the tribute was a cathartic process for them.
“They’ve shared with me on a number of occasions just how important that’s been for the healing and how grateful they are for the support they’ve received,” Green said.
The start of baseball season in February was especially difficult. Green said the team, more so than any other group, carried the burden of grief over what happened. They were also the most “directly inspired by the reaction of others,” he added.
The first scholarship named after a Gainesville student honored Patrick Kelley, who died in a car crash in 2011. That $2,500 scholarship is awarded to seniors at Hall County/Gainesville City public high schools who plan to attend an accredited U.S. college or university, according to the North Georgia Community Foundation.
Green said all of the school’s scholarships are supported by the foundation. To fund the Medina scholarship in future years, he said the school will work with internal and external stakeholders “to provide kind of an awareness and overview of all of these giving opportunities.”
What’s most important for Green, he said, is the lasting legacy the scholarship brings. He recalled being asked about one of their other scholarships named after Jo Cronic Farr, a former Gainesville High teacher. Her name is still being talked about, even though she hasn’t worked at the school for 30 years.
Green said he believes Medina’s legacy will be ingrained in Gainesville High. The scholarship will carry his name to other schools, even ones outside of Georgia. In doing so, Green said they can tell others how Medina helped them.
“(Students can) continue to give to others and pay it forward,” Green said. “I think that is really special.”
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