Clearfield High students describe Hope Squad suicide‑prevention training and urge peers to reach out

Three students from Clearfield High School described a Hope Squad conference hosted at their school and urged classmates to check in with peers showing signs of distress.

Student 1, a Hope Squad member at Clearfield High School, said, "I have had several experience with people who have wanted to take their lives and it was some of the scariest experiences I've been through. I see a lot of, people around the halls that are stressed out but they don't show it to their friends because they don't want their friends to be concerned about them." Student 1 said students sometimes hide stress after fights with parents and that the conference focuses on recognizing signs and how to listen.

Student 3, identified as a Hope Squad participant, said, "Hope is something that's very important. I think it keeps us all going, just knowing the possibility of things getting better." Student 2 added that the training teaches students "how to be better at listening and how to make conversations with people and really just recognizing the, like, the signs of when someone's going through that." She summarized a central message: "kindness is not weakness, and we really want to help people."

Speakers encouraged peers to initiate simple contact: "Ask your friend how their day is and to see how their life is going," Student 1 said. Student 2 urged classmates to reach out to friends on bad days and at the conference stressed that small gestures matter: "Sometimes that's all a person might need is someone who cares about them and loves them and someone they can just talk to."

The transcript records these remarks and describes the conference as focused on suicide prevention training delivered through Hope Squad. The recording does not specify any formal action, vote, or follow-up assignment by the meeting body.