Lee University's Anna Beth Pruett is following her dreams.
photo by Contributed/Lee University Athletics
It would be safe to say Annabeth Pruett was one of the few softball players Lee Coach Emily Russell recruited that would have second thoughts about where she wanted to attend college. The graduate of Prince Avenue Christian School (Colbert, Georgia) quickly explained, "As I was growing up, attending Lee was my dream after hearing how it changed our family's life. I knew it was a special place held in my grandfather's heart, and it was a true honor being able to select Lee to play softball.
"I loved Lee for being a Christian school, being close to home, and being good at literally everything they do.
I remember meeting Coach when I was 14 years old. I think I proved my love for Lee after showing up for games and camps. I am thankful to Coach for her giving me the opportunity to pursue the dream of athletics, the dream of Lee, and the dream of medicine," the 2013-17 softballer lamented. She earned her undergrad in 2016 with health science Pre-PA and received her MBA in 2018.
Russell has high praise for Pruitt:
"AB (Annabeth) was such a huge part of our program. She played a variety of positions and came in right as we transitioned to NCAA Division II. She pitched her first year to help us transition as we had injuries to pitchers on staff. She was the consummate teammate. She had to have an intense surgery on her hip which ended her career. Annabeth left a mark on the program by the way she showed up every day. She was strong in her faith and discipled other teammates as well.
"There are not many students who come to college as focused and disciplined as she was. You can see by how her life has tracked to this point. She is dedicated to the dream God placed in her heart. I am so thankful to have her close by so she can care for and see student athletes.
"She is a gifted young woman and the life she lives will impact others as she continues her selfless giving to others. It is a testimony of the goodness of God. I couldn't be prouder that I was able to coach Annabeth and to have her represent our program and the university," said a sincere Coach Russell. \
Annabeth describes deep-rooted family links:
Annabeth says she owes Lee a huge "thank you" for what it has done for her family. "It truly changed the trajectory of thousands of lives. While I may not look it, my grandfather, Vernon Klaudt, was born on our Native American Reservation (our tribe is Arikara Mandan) in New Town, North Dakota). Our reservation is the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. He was denied an education during a racially difficult time in the United States.
"One afternoon, a missionary from Tennessee heard my grandfather singing on a street corner and offered him an opportunity of a lifetime. He ended up attending Lee Bible training school where he graduated high school at the age of 16, and from Lee College three years later.
"Papa" was part of a singing group at Lee called "the Kingsman Four". Lee gave him not only a love for music but for education. All together he finished with six masters, a specialist, and a PhD in his lifetime. He went on to be a principal and a pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta. His brothers and sister attended Lee and some were professors at one time.
"During that period, the group formed a gospel-singing group named the Klaudt Indian Family that sang and did missions in over 117 countries and even sang at a Lee University Homecoming. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame."
Many fond memories of playing and learning with Lee softball:
Annabeth emphasized, "Beyond doubt, my softball career led me to my lifetime's best friends. There are so many fond memories of Lee softball. I think winning the first NCAA Division II Regionals in 2017 was one of the highlights of my career. I think softball and being an athlete taught me a lot about myself. College athletics pushes you to learn time-management skills, multi-tasking, being a leader but knowing when to be a team player, and much more. I also think that Lee's science department truly prepared me for my future so well. Being an athlete and a science major is not always easy, but it helped me know how to balance multiple things when it came to PA school. I owe a shout out to all my Lee professors for allowing me to come to class sweaty or with softball dirt on my clothes."
Training for medical school:
Annabeth began training for the medical field during her time at Lee. "During fall/winter of 2016, I worked nights as a CNA at a local nursing home to begin accruing hours needed for PA school. During 2018, I became a medical assistant at Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Arturo Rocha, a Lee soccer alum helped get me the hookup up for the job. During that time, I was able to work for over 12 different providers across multiple locations and see the diversity of Orthopedics," she noted.
Seeking to learn more about medicine:
Annabeth graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, (Georgia campus) in July 2020. She began her current position at the beginning of October 2020 as a Physician's Assistant. "I look to move up in the field by learning more about medicine and would love to have future lecturing opportunities or helping prepare students during their rotations. I love medicine and would love to help educate those pursuing it."
Injuries spark interest in sports medicine:
During Annabeth's lifetime of athletics, she has experienced her fair share of sport injuries. "I frequented the local ortho clinic so much they knew me by name. My injuries helped spark my interest in medicine. During my time at Lee, I had a medical redshirt year for a left hip surgery. This experience helped solidify my love for medicine. My fifth year of eligibility was cut short after needing another hip surgery (right hip) that ended my career. I realized I loved to help people and I love sports. Therefore, sports medicine was my number one interest when searching for a job. I wanted to give back the same way providers gave back to me during my fair share of orthopedic injuries," she acknowledged.
Meeting Dr. Spangler:
While dealing with injuries, Annabeth first met Dr. (Jason) Spangler (who was also a former Lee athlete) as a patient. "He cared for me when I was a Lee athlete. I then had the opportunity to work with him as a medical assistant while at CSMO. I saw how he treated his staff and patients and knew that I would love to have a supervising physician like him one day.
"Dr. Spangler is a superhero, being able to balance everything he does, and do it well. I truly appreciated how closely he worked with Lee athletics, being able to care for them and working them into his busy clinic schedule. He even sees them in the training room every other week. I think being a Lee alum and athlete helped make our connection. I also think being able to prove my work ethic as a medical assistant helped when getting a new role with CSMO. It felt like I was coming home to a place I felt comfortable. I am beyond grateful for my opportunity to represent Lee, CSMO, and the Lord," she concluded.