Written by Naemah Nzeruem
Ram Report’s first club highlight of the year is the Hope Squad! Hope Squad is a suicide prevention program founded in 2004 by Dr. Greg Hundall. The purpose of Hope Squad is to utilize “peer-to-peer” interactions as a method of increasing mental health awareness. Many people at MVS say they appreciate having a Hope Squad as it helps unite the community. Having people who genuinely care about your mental, and emotional health, and support you when need be, is one of the best things for teenagers in our developmental years, and our relationships with our peers are crucial parts of this. Most times it’s hard to go to an adult for fear of being judged, criticized, and humiliated, but with Hope Squad, you can talk to people you trust like friends and peers who know you.
When Hope Squad came to MVS in 2022, it marked a positive change in the community. Hope Squad has held a couple of events like Hope Week towards the end of May (last school year) to boost student morale before finals. The members also went through many trainings and attended a summit to learn more about mental health and expand the resources they use to help people. This year Hope Squad has added a few new members, meaning new ideas, making it even better. We should be sure to look forward to what great things Hope Squad has to offer this year and wish them the best of luck!
