In 2018, the Be Great For Nate non-profit organization was born from a group of high school students in Portsmouth after the suicide of 15-year-old Nathan Bruno. He had no history of mental illness and did not appear to be at risk of taking his own life.
After Bruno’s death, Be Great For Nate and the Every Student Initiative set a course for change and to help combat a growing problem.
Nathan’s dad, Rick Bruno teamed up with Steven Peterson to lead and mold the non-profit, and The Every Student Initiative quickly became the first program of Be Great For Nate.
The Every Student Initiative focused on practical ways to help students with mental health challenges and tactics and programs for the educators to support them.
The legislation is modeled around a law in place in several other states after a 16-year-old from Nashville, Jason Flatt, took his own life.
The act would require teachers, students, and all school personnel to be trained on suicide awareness and prevention, and also establish a conflict resolution process between faculty and the student body.
It was passed and signed by Gov. Dan McKee in early 2021. The bill had the support of Rep. Terri Cortvriend, Sen. James Seveney, and Sen. Dawn Euer, who were also in attendance and spoke at the gala.
