Steward Hudnall calls it “The Awful Year.”
During the 2017-18 school year, six Herriman High students died from suicide, leaving a school and a community stricken with grief and wondering how things might ever get better.
“It was emotionally draining,” said Hudnall, an assistant principal at the high school. “It was really hard. Our school and our students are like our surrogate families. Losing one of them really is like losing a family member.”
But one student group is working to restore hope. The Herriman High Hope Squad is comprised of 30 sophomores, juniors and seniors, each one there to listen to their fellow students, to offer friendship in times of need, and to watch for suicide’s warning signs.