Pearland High School Honors Teen Who Committed Suicide

PEARLAND, TX -- The Pearland Independent School District and Pearland High School have agreed to honor a student in the Pearland High School Yearbook’s “In Memoriam page in this year edition.

The student, Hannah Hollis, 17, was a senior at Pearland High School, and preparing for the start of a college career at Texas A&M University, when she took her own life on March 19.

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As the family prepared to lay their loved one to rest, classmates and Hannah’s sisters, sought to have her remembered on the yearbook’s In Memoriam page.

However, administrators initially said no, because of the way Hannah died, saying that doing so would send the wrong message to other students.

However, classmates, with the family’s support, launched an online petitionwith Change.org to demand Hanah be honored in the yearbook.

In just a few days, more than 6,000 signatures were collected which were presented to district administrators.

On Wednesday, Pearland High School released the following statement:

"From the beginning, Pearland High School's and Pearland ISD's intention was and has been to allow the Hollis family time to grieve. We have now had an opportunity to visit with the family to discuss how to best honor Hannah. PHS will have a remembrance page in the yearbook for any Oiler they have lost, and this will include Hannah. We will continue to provide support for all students and have Hannah's friends and family in our thoughts and prayers."

To view the Change.org petition, click here.

Image: Shutterstock

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