Provided by Prince William County Schools (PWCS)
One of four winners to receive the Virginia Lottery’s inaugural “Made in Virginia” Award was George Preston, a 2001 graduate of Woodbridge High School. As a winner, Preston presented $5,000 from the Virginia Lottery and $4,000 in school supplies from The Supply Room to the Virginia public school of his choice —Woodbridge High School.
While attending Woodbridge, Preston was active in sports (football and track), participated in orchestra, and excelled in academics. After graduation, he attended Virginia Tech to study engineering. Preston is currently the co-owner and principal mechanical engineer of SAI Engineering, a local mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design firm. A colleague at SAI nominated him because of his commitment as a volunteer mentor to PWCS students and for coaching a local youth basketball league.
At the presentation ceremony with Preston and the Virginia Lottery, Heather Abney, principal of Woodbridge High School, stated, “Our school theme here at Woodbridge High School is ‘Building Bridges, Closing Gaps, and Leaving Legacies.’ Preston represents this theme in every sense through his work in the community. With his generous gift to our school, we are planning to create a makerspace in our school library with a focus on engineering. We believe this gift will make a difference in the lives of the students who walk our halls now and for years to come.”
The Virginia Lottery created the “Made in Virginia” award to acknowledge individuals who attended a Virginia public school. Each of the four winners are selected for at least one of the following reasons: success in their career, continued contributions to their local community, or overcoming adversity.
