Growing up, Connor Mullen loved to hear the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” his mother, Lori Mullen, remembers. His father would often sing it to him and, later on, it seemed like the perfect fit for Connor, who was often described as a friendly, outgoing person anyone could count on.

While studying at the University of Delaware, Connor continued to make an impression with his big heart and willingness to get involved. As an entrepreneurship and technology innovation major, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity and the Entrepreneurship Club, he was interested in connecting with and helping others.

But Connor also struggled with his mental health. When he died in September 2016 as the result of suicide, his friends and family wanted to do more to make sure everyone had a friend to turn to for support—just as Connor had been the friend they counted on so many times.

“Connor really loved helping others. Everyone saw that about him but didn’t really know what Connor was going through on the inside,” recalls Lori. “After his passing, a lot of his friends on campus didn’t know what to do, but we knew we needed to do something to carry on Connor’s legacy. When we were thinking about a name for the group, I felt strongly that it should be about friends and how Connor would always be by their side.”

Connor’s family and friends created Friends 4 Friends as a Registered Student Organization to directly help UD students. Their mission—to encourage students to be a friend to one another and lend a helping hand to anyone struggling with mental health—resonates with students and University leaders. From exercise and nutrition guidance, to individual and group counseling, the holistic well-being of students is a priority across campus.

Since starting their own Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Festival on campus in April 2018, the group has continued to grow, says Kelly Marzoli, BE18, who helped launch the group as an undergraduate. From initiating random acts of kindness to providing mental health trainings, Friends 4 Friends members encourage authentic human connection through events, explains Marzoli. Friends 4 Friends also holds free mental health emergency trainings once a semester, which are open to all students and staff.

Marzoli’s own experience in the group encouraged her to make mental health part of her career and become an advocate and mental health first aid instructor.

“UD is a place where we emphasize friendship and compassion, and that’s why the mission of Friends 4 Friends works. We care about each other,” says Marzoli. “In college, there so many new expectations and students may not know what to do. Friends 4 Friends can help students open up and start a conversation.”

Most recently, the Mullen family and Friends 4 Friends were able to further their efforts by creating an endowed fund at the University of Delaware in Connor’s memory. The fund, which will support the Center for Counseling and Student Development, helps students alleviate costs associated with off-campus treatment, medication, transportation and meditation space, among other needs.

“I feel that this is what Connor would want us to do to honor him,” Lori says. “I don't want any other family or student to have to go through this. Together, we can help students understand the resources that are available to them at UD and do more to help them.”

With a fundraising goal of $50,000, Friends 4 Friends has already contributed $35,000 to UD’s Center for Counseling and Student Development. And, as part of the second annual I Heart UD Giving Day held in May, Friends 4 Friends was able to call on a wide community of Blue Hen parents, alumni and friends to raise an additional $7,000.

Juliet Meskers, AS19, who recently served as vice president of Friends 4 Friends, says there continues to be strong interest from students to get involved and inspire change on campus. The club has helped her openly talk about her own mental health needs and encouraged other students to do the same.

“We realized that we could provide a platform, not only for students to feel good about themselves and that they always had a friend, but to also really make a change on campus,” Meskers says. “The Counseling Center gave me a safe space, but Friends 4 Friends made me feel like it wasn't something that I had to hide from everyone, and it wasn't something that I was going through alone. I had an entire group of people who cared about the cause as well.”

Through a combined effort, and thanks to the advocacy and philanthropy of students and individuals connected to groups like Friends 4 Friends, the University is encouraging a healthy campus for all and committed to mental health awareness. By connecting students with the wellness resources they need to make responsible decisions, the UD community is working together to help and inspire students to be more successful on campus and in their personal and professional pursuits.

In this way, Blue Hens can truly find friends in each other.

For more information on Friends 4 Friends, visit the group’s page on the resident student organization website. For more information on mental health and well-being for UD students, visit the Center for Counseling and Student Development website or call 302-831-2141.