On July 30, 2017, Cory lost his son, Hunter, to suicide. Hunter was 16.
Following this loss, Cory made a conscious decision that he would not shy away from the fact that this was a death by suicide.
His reasoning?
Cory understood that silence was not the answer, and he recognized that people needed to talk about mental health.
To strengthen this conversation, Cory created the Hunter Nelson Memorial Scholarship to be used for various mental health initiatives.
On Monday, one of these initiatives involved bringing my message to the school that Hunter attended.
As I stood on the stage, Cory was in the stands alongside his son’s former classmates.
That was tough. But, it was also empowering.
Together, we were able to create a safe space where we could talk about our feelings, and embrace the power of community and connection.
Cory, you have my utmost respect. To me, you are a true leader.
In many ways, it would have been easier to remain silent. But, then again, I don’t think life was meant to be easy.