A year ago today, Gamecock Village in Jacksonville, Alabama was experiencing a beautiful spring day. Little did anyone they know that the property and the lives within it were about to be completely flipped upside-down that same night. I sat down with Property Manager Darrick English and Assistant Property Manager Sydnie Pope to discuss the chain of events of that day and the takeaways from an experience each of them will never forget.

“It was a really slow day since it was Spring Break,” said Sydnie. “It was just us two that day; we went home from work and said ‘See you tomorrow’.” Sydnie was not only the Assistant Property Manager at the time, but also a resident of the property. She began to pack for a trip that evening, talking on the phone with her mom, when all of a sudden she was forced to take cover. “It happened so quickly,” she recalled. When the tornado hit, she found herself in the midst of it all.

Meanwhile, Darrick was sound asleep, when he woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing. “The first person that called was Kasey Munsch, and I just hear ‘Are you okay?’” Darrick remembered. “I said, ‘Yeah, I’m okay I’m at home’ when I looked on the news and saw that the property was totally destroyed.”

When Darrick first arrived on the scene, he saw what he had imagined to be his worst nightmare. “It looked like a jungle,” said Darrick. “It was like it was from a movie: cars flipped over, trees fallen down, residents outside in tears, and parents crying.”

Darrick received permission to walk through some of the property and soon realized that he no longer had an office. “I didn’t know what to do, I was scared,” said Darrick.

Not even twenty four hours after the tornado, familiar faces began to appear. Darrick said, “All the higher ups from corporate were on the earliest flight that morning, there by our side, from start to finish. Just about everybody came.”

“My number one thought was that everybody would need a place to stay,” stated Sydnie. The priority was to do everything they could to make sure all residents were safe and accounted for.  Fortunately, no residents were harmed during the tornado.

Residents and parents needed to be aware of the condition of the property and more specifically, their apartments. Many people struggled to take the news. “It was so hard to tell people that their belongings they wanted didn’t make it,” said Darrick. Sydnie agreed, adding “They wanted to retrieve their things, and they didn’t understand that it was going to be a process.”

Providing support to the residents and their parents moved the staff deeply, and changed their outlooks and perspectives on work and life as a whole. “Everyone was looking for me,” said Sydnie. “You’re going through it as well, but you have to pull it together for other people. It made me cherish everyone I know.”

Darrick added, saying “It helped me grow as a manager, as it taught me leadership skills and I was able to bond with my staff. You never know when your last day will be.”

Ultimately, the two were positively impacted by the disaster, and feel confident that if this were to ever happen to another property, they would be able to help. “If someone were to go through this, we would be there to help,” Darrick said. “Communicate with the residents, communicate with the people; do that and you’ll be okay.”

Over time, the property overcame all obstacles to rebuild itself, and moved residents back into the property in August, five months removed from the tornado.  They give the credit to the many people in the company who helped them through it all. “I was so grateful for the way The Preiss Company handled this situation, as a staff member and as a resident,” quoted Sydnie. “Even when they weren’t supposed to be on-site, they were.”

Darrick and Sydnie also found comfort in knowing that they worked for a company who truly had their backs. “I had absolutely loved my job, but after meeting all these people, it made me love the company even more,” stated Sydnie. “They didn’t have to come, and they did.”

Vice President of Student Housing, Sara Clark says, “When the tornado hit, we were all shocked. It was something that no one in our entire organization had dealt with before and at the time seemed like an impossible task at hand. But being there to witness our team at Gamecock Village immediately get to work and assist every single resident and parent was a remarkable sight to see.  The team handled every situation with such grace, care, and love. The staff is such a resilient group that truly exemplify hard work, dedication, and extraordinary customer service.”

Through this story, we can understand the importance of coming together as a company and a community to help our friends and family no matter the circumstances. This is truly a reflection of our priorities as a company, and along with Darrick and Sydnie, I think we can all agree that our company is more than a student housing provider: it’s family.

Regional Manager Gavin Short states, “It has been completely humbling, and nothing short of amazing, to witness the transformation in this past year. A transformation of not only wood and bricks, but also a transformation of people and relationships. Please join me on this one year anniversary in celebrating the people who have turned this story of devastation into a story of triumph.”

The staff at Gamecock Village want to extend their gratitude to those who came out to help them during their time of need. Listed below are some of the many people that supported them during the process.  They also want to thank the entire Preiss Company family for the support and love they felt from afar.

Adam Byrley
Sara Clark
Gavin Short
Andrew Belter
Lane Sheer
Chantele Hawkins
Trenton Ware
Jake Davis
Collin Noble
Javier Ginestra