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Sydney Pritchett is a senior of Selma High School, who is no stranger to advocating for change within the Selma community.

Last Saturday, Pritchett was a mock city council member for Ward 7 through the Selma City Council President Shadow Program, where she implemented her thoughts about the city’s curfew times and making her voice heard for the noise ordinance changes within the city to keep residents of the community safe.

Just before the role within city government, Pritchett was chosen by the Drug Free Communities of Dallas County (DFCDC) organization to be the youth representative to speak virtually in Washington D.C.

Pritchett spoke to Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showcasing online just how much impact the organization has made as whole in Dallas County.

“This year, Sydney is serving as my intern for DFC, for the hope dealers,” said Executive Director Jerria Martin of The Drug Free Communities of Dallas County. “So, she’s the head junior hope dealer and she did a phenomenal job, sharing a five-to-seven minute presentation on all the cool stuff that we do here in Selma and Dallas County to keep kids drug free.”

Martin said the three things the organization did earlier within the year to really catch the attention of those nationally were by having over 100 plus youth members involved within their coalition since 2016, the ability to encourage the youth through viral music videos online to stay drug free including having a viral youth led radio show to intrigue the youth to say no to drugs.

“Our radio show called The Hope Show, it always gets 1000s of listeners and 1000s of views,” Martin said. “It comes on every second Tuesday of the Month and that’s really a big thing that folks tune into, we have community leaders come on the show, and it’s led by our local teenagers including Sydney serving as the head junior hope dealer that facilities that show with her peers as well.”

Martin said the organization catered to keeping kids drug free, even has their own cooking show called Mini Meals and Mocktails to keep kids from indulging in Alcohol and other unsafe drinks and food to giving them healthy and safe alternatives that still look cool, are kid-friendly and alcohol-free.
Pritchett said it’s a really rewarding and memorable feeling to know that the national coalition in Washington D.C. seen and thought of her presentation for the local organization as such, in a high regard, allowing her to present first and she said she never seen the opportunity as a youth herself coming.

“I never really seen it coming,” Pritchett said. “Especially, when I first got in high school, I was not really big on even talking in front of people, because it just wasn’t my thing. So, if I was to ask my ninth-grade self, could I be talking in front of 500 or more people for a webinar for the White House, I would be so surprised that I’m even here and that I even enjoy doing it and I’m not forced to do it.”

Pritchett said she would encourage others to move forward with not just her coalition but with drug prevention work in general so they can see the benefits that I have or that some of my other peers who are doing work like me have, because I have been able to go on many trips and like this opportunity to speak to the White House.

“It’s been so many good opportunities that come with the drug prevention organization and the drug free lifestyle that I think it’s just a good thing to encourage them and let them see all the good possibilities that could come with this lifestyle rather than resorting to drugs.

Martin said Sydney has been involved with DFCDC organization since she was in middle school and she said is very proud of Sydney and her organization reaching their ninth year, being one organization out of the five organizations to be recognized on a national level.

Martin said the coalition has at least 300 grantees nationwide.