Nearly 200 students from schools across Beaver County, including public, charter, and private, came together this week for the Youth Ambassadors Program (YAP) summit. The gathering, developed and run by Beaver County Behavioral Health (BCBH), is a youth-centered, youth-driven initiative that encourages young people to raise awareness of the mental health issues they face.
The program’s goals are to increase awareness of mental health and wellness, decrease the stigma surrounding mental health, and build stronger relationships among students from different districts.
A deeply moving and profoundly important moment of the day came from John Halligan, father of Ryan Halligan, who died by suicide in October 2003 at the age of 13 after being bullied in person and online. Halligan, a former IBM engineer who later lobbied for anti-bullying and suicide prevention legislation in Vermont, has spent the last two decades telling Ryan’s story in schools across the country in the hope of sparing other families the same pain.
He spoke of Ryan’s sweetness, his struggles with early learning delays, the bullying he endured, and the way online harassment compounded his isolation. Halligan described how Ryan once pleaded with him not to intervene at school, fearing that adults stepping in would make the bullying worse. After Ryan’s death, Halligan discovered the extent of the cruelty through saved online conversations, which revealed the heavy burden his son had carried alone.
Halligan’s message to students was clear and urgent. He urged them never to suffer in silence, but instead to seek help from parents, teachers, counselors, or trusted adults.
“I fantasize all the time about somebody inventing a time machine so I could turn back the clock and keep my son alive,” he said. “But there are no do-overs. What we can do is learn and act differently today.”
Halligan called on them to reject passivity and be “upstanders” (as opposed to bystanders), intervening when they see cruelty rather than standing by. He also spoke about the transformative power of sincere apologies and the healing that comes from forgiveness. His words carried the weight of personal tragedy and the hope of preventing others from experiencing it.
Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning praised the program and the role it plays in the community. “In this day and age, with all the pressures and anxiety that kids face, being able to have somebody to talk to, to mentor you, and to listen to your problems is vitally important,” he said. Manning also noted that no other county in Pennsylvania has a program as extensive, with every district—including charter and private schools—participating.
The event carried even greater significance as it took place during September, which is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The stories shared, the connections made, and the commitments voiced by students and leaders alike underscored the urgent need to confront stigma, open conversations about mental health, and ensure that no young person feels alone.
