Gautier High School Hope Squad leader earns statewide recognition for suicide prevention work

Gautier High School senior Elijah Hudson is the vice president of Gautier’s Hope Squad, a student-led suicide prevention program that connects students with trusted peers.

‍

“Our job isn’t to take on the thoughts or anything that is going on, but just supplying them the proper people to support them,” Hudson said.

‍

His commitment to serving others is earning statewide recognition. He is one of just four students in Mississippi selected for the Better Business Bureau’s Students of Integrity Scholarship.

‍

The award honors emerging leaders who lead with integrity and honesty.

‍

In his application, Hudson shared how he stepped in to help a friend struggling with suicidal thoughts.

‍

“I was just there to help him through that, to be the person he needed me to be,” Hudson said.

‍

Charronda Hairston, Hope Squad co-advisor, said Hudson stood out from the start.

‍

“He just stood out; his spirit, his soul, he has this energy about him,” Hairston said.

‍

After graduation, Sarai Martinez Hernandez will take his spot as the vice president. She joined Hope Squad after seeing her friends struggle with mental health.

‍

“I’ve seen the effects it has on my friends, and just not being trained to help them made me interested in Hope Squad,” Martinez Hernandez said.

‍

For the past two years, she has learned alongside Hudson and has seen how small gestures can make a difference.

‍

“Something that may seem small to you can rock somebody’s life,” Martinez Hernandez said.

‍

For Hairston, the recognition is meaningful, but the mission matters more.

‍

“We have students that are walking around daily that are sad or depressed, but they have nowhere to turn and no one to come to, and the good thing is the Hope Squad is about peer connection,” Hairston said.

‍

“Don’t think that you’re suffering through anything alone. We’re here for you, and that is exactly what Hope Squad is about,” Hairston said.

‍

Hudson said the impact extends beyond the school.

‍

“It’s just incredible to see what that small gesture can do for your community, for your school, and just see the difference in what’s going on in your community,” Hudson said.

‍

Originally published at https://www.wlox.com/2026/04/21/gautier-high-school-hope-squad-leader-earns-statewide-recognition-suicide-prevention-work/