The Montana State scholarship honors students who have died by suicide and strives to provide more mental health care

Bozeman, Montana – At Montana State University, Landon Hull was pursuing a degree in psychology to become a counselor. However, following his untimely death in 2022, the Hull family decided to establish a scholarship in his honor to address Montana’s mental health epidemic.

“Landon was full of energy from the time he could walk. He walked early, he talked early, he rode his bike early. He brought life to the party. He brought excitement to the room. And he was really empathetic towards other people who were struggling,” says Landon’s mother, Kimmelin Hull.

Due to his difficulties and the dearth of juvenile programs available to address them, Landon finally found his passion for assisting people at an out-of-state outdoor recovery program.

“I think he saw a potential future self in these young guys who had also decided to dedicate their professional lives to helping kids,” says Kimmelin.

Landon struggled even after this period of rehabilitation, and when he returned to Montana, he was unable to locate the assistance he required.

“The system, with all its benefits, also has a lot of flaws. And they were just unwilling and unable to diagnose what was really going on with him,” says Andrew Hull, Landon’s father.

He says, “We know there’s kids falling through the cracks all over the place. And so that’s what is frustrating and heartbreaking for us. The situation is playing itself out again and again, and there’s nothing systematic that’s changed yet.”

Right now, Montana has the highest suicide death rate in the nation, with 28.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. Some claim that in spite of this, the state’s mental health services have not grown.

“A lot of kids told us they felt so at home with him and comforted by him because not only was he willing to share his own struggles but also seek them out and encourage them to find the help they needed to get better,” says Kimmelin.

The Hull family is hoping that by offering this scholarship, more mental health specialists would choose to visit Montana and help those who are struggling to get mental health care.

Kimmelin says, “We could have allowed his goal and his dream to die with him, or we could find a way to continue the work he envisioned himself doing.”

Dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you or a loved one is experiencing difficulties. You’re not by yourself.