Months after PJ Shell lost his stepson Maverick to suicide, he helped a distraught mother pay for her child’s equipment at a sporting goods store.
The moment, Shell said in a speech at Valley High School, caused the first shared smile between him and his wife in months because it reminded them of Maverick’s generosity.
On Thursday, Shell shared his family’s story of loss and imparted with Valley High and Deer Lakes High School students a message to be kind.
The collaborative event between Valley High and Deer Lakes High School’s ‘Hope Squad’ awareness groups started with a speech by Shell, co-founder of Maverick’s Mission. It’s a Northern Cambria nonprofit honoring Shell’s stepson, Maverick Baker, who died by suicide in 2022.
Shell spoke candidly about how peer bullying and the use of performance enhancement steroids contributed to his son’s suicide.
“You have that ability to change someone’s life,” he said. “If you’re a bully, I want you to think about why you are bullying.”
Deer Lakes freshman Evelyn Vanderschaff said it was “nice hearing a perspective from a parent.”
Shell acknowledged the emotional confusion of being a teenager who might be going through family hardships. A central message of his speech was to be kind to others, as you don’t know what they are going through.
“The kids want to talk,” Shell said in an interview with TribLive. “If you aren’t willing to have the tough conversations, what do you think will happen if you don’t.”
Valley High junior Josiah Wilson said the way Shell told his story was relatable and “not demeaning.”
After the speech, students participated in a scavenger hunt around the school.
The workshop was the second collaboration of its kind by the two schools.
Hope Squad is a national organization founded in Utah with chapters in 1,600 schools, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
The Valley High and Deer Lakes chapters hold regular schoolwide events to educate students and reduce stigma.
Ashley Pujol, a faculty advisor for the Valley High group, said the program’s philosophy is that students might be more comfortable confiding in peers before an adult.
It was the second time Valley High hosted a speaker for its Hope squad, Pujol said. Shell’s story resonated with her.
“It was extremely eye-opening that a kid that was so popular still had those struggles,” Pujol said.
Shell said he has spoken at dozens of schools across Southwestern Pennsylvania. His nonprofit also offers two annual scholarships of $1,000 that are awarded on one criteria: “being a good person,” he said.
It also offers support groups every other month for grieving families and friends.
“He’s still with me everyday,” Shell said of his stepson. “Our trauma, our grief goes up and down.
“Till I take my last breath, I will continue to honor my son.”
