Mourning For Much-Honored Hunterdon Central Student After Suicide

Bullying bothered Allison Vandal. By the time she was a high school sophomore, she had already written a much-acclaimed play and a poem on the subject.

It was one of the many things Vandal accomplished in her 15-year life, including her work with the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.

“Allison is not content to stand by in a world where there is cruelty. Empathy and awareness are not enough," said Emily Bengels, a gifted and talented/enrichment teacher at Hunterdon Central High School.

It was a life that ended suddenly this past week, starting with a suicide attempt at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday. She died four days later.

It was initially reported that Vandal suffered a medical emergency last week. Superintendent of Schools Jeff Moore said in an email to parents that Vandal, a Hunterdon Central sophomore from Readington, died Saturday as a result of suicide.

"Allison was a very talented sophomore who was deeply involved in our arts programs," Moore wrote. "She and her family have been the focus of our thoughts and prayers since Tuesday. The parents wish to thank the community for their ongoing support."

Vandal was a Readington Middle School student when she was honored by the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education in 2016. Vandal received the Youth Holocaust/Genocide Awareness Award for demonstrating "an altruistic act of generating awareness, empathy and action for holocaust and/or genocide education."

While a student at Readington Middle School, Allison wrote, cast and directed an anti-bullying play. She then adapted the play for younger audiences and presented it at the district’s elementary schools, according to the district.

In nominating Allison for the award, Bengels said, “Allison is about action…not just for Holocaust education, but for anyone who is labeled and limited. Allison aims to use the arts to improve the world.”

Vandal also once attended United Nations Day of the Girl events, and in the spring of 2016, she played the lead role of Golde in the school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.

"Both of these experiences led her to question causes and effects of injustices based on gender, race, culture or perceived ability," according to the district.

After penning a poem for a younger student who was being bullied, Allison and two of her peers developed a “Poets Undercover Guild” to write and share poems supportive of those in need.

The school will continue to have additional counselors on campus as long as necessary. Students who need help personally or are concerned about another person can tell any teacher. Students may also go directly to one of the school's counseling offices, Moore said.

"Our primary goal is to provide a safe and compassionate environment for our students. We will be providing additional counseling and taking extra precautions, but we will also follow our normal class schedule in order to create an atmosphere of routine and normalcy," he wrote.

"All of us here at Hunterdon Central offer our thoughts and deepest sympathies to the Vandal family."

NJ Commission on Holocaust Education photo