KENT, Ohio — September is home to National Suicide Prevention month, and some who have personally been impacted are working so others don’t feel similar pain.

Every once in a while, people cross paths and lives are impacted in huge ways. For Julia Hallgren, that person is her friend Stormy. The pair met when they were young children.

Unfortunately, Hallgren will never see her friend become an adult. 

"It was, like, my third day of my sophomore year — I found out that they took their own life," Hallgren said. "Turned my world upside down. It's one of the most life changing things that ever happened to me.” 

Stormy died by suicide at 15 years old. 

“I don’t know, it breaks your heart, it’s a really hard thing to go through at that age," she said. "I think you grow up very fast when something like that happens.” 

Hallgren turned her grief into advocacy and has become the Ohio Junior Board President for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“I honestly say that my friendship with Stormy was substantial," Hallgren said. "This person was a big person in my life who I think left a very big impact on me.” 

Hallgren is now on a mission to spread awareness about suicide prevention at Kent State, where she’s in her freshman year. 

"I hope that Stormy would think that this is something really great, because I’m doing it all for my friend,” Hallgren said. “I'm doing it just to make them happy and to make them proud of me and to just know that this is all of my love going into it.” 

More information on suicide prevention may be found at AFSP.org or those in immediate crisis may call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

"You can always get help. If you’re in a crisis, you can obviously use the crisis line, but, like, if you feel like you are in a low spot in your life, just know that even if you don’t think you have anyone, you do. There are people in your life that want you here and that care about you and just love you," Hallgren said. "You will get through this no matter what, and I know that depression and every other kind of mental illness is so hard but you will get through it.”