KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 6, 2025

As comforting as it was to return to his hometown of Greensboro, Georgia, there was a point in time in which Spencer Bradley could only think about returning to Kennesaw State University.

Spencer carved his own path by choosing to attend school roughly 100 miles away from home. He quickly settled into Kennesaw State by becoming an active member of the Theta Chi Fraternity and aspiring to study in the Coles College of Business.

“We really felt that Spencer had found his happy place,” said Patti Bradley, Spencer’s mother. “He was doing well in the classroom and made great friends in his fraternity. It was the happiest he had ever been.”

Remembered for his contagious laugh and propensity to steal the spotlight of any room he entered, Spencer often spent late nights helping his friends navigate difficult times while actively managing his own mental health struggles. Following his untimely passing in June 2022, his parents created the Spencer Bradley Foundation for Mental Health, which supports mental health programs for teens and young adults.

Recently, the foundation established the Spencer Bradley Foundation for Mental Health Scholarship to support full-time students pursuing mental health-related degrees. Anna Shoup, a psychology student in the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences and peer counselor in Kennesaw State’s Department of Counseling and Psychological Services, became the first to receive the scholarship in 2024.

Previously, the foundation provided funding to supply mental health resources to students in KSU’s Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

“Our goal is to normalize the conversation around mental health and to let others know that it’s O.K. to not be O.K.,” said David Bradley, Spencer’s father. “We’re starting to see that stigma slowly fade away. Now, we’re focused on helping people get the training so they understand where the conversations should be happening.”

The foundation’s five-year commitment to fund mental health training for KSU’s fraternity and sorority community will provide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for KSU’s four Greek council presidents and 34 fraternity and sorority chapter presidents, teaching skills to respond to signs of mental illness and substance use. In addition, the more than 700 students who join fraternities and sororities at KSU each year will receive Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training —three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. The gift also enables KSU to certify three MHFA and 10 QPR trainers to help reach more students with these critical resources.

According to the National Education Association, nearly 60 percent of college students today meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem. In addition to the resources provided by the Spencer Bradley Foundation for Mental Health, KSU offers peer-to-peer support, in-person counseling, and online 24-hour mental health support via Wellbeing@KSU.

“At Kennesaw State, we have a profound commitment to the mental wellbeing of our students, and these resources will help create a community where no student faces the battle alone,” said Eric Arneson, vice president of student affairs. “We are incredibly honored to continue Spencer’s legacy through the generosity of the Spencer Bradley Foundation for Mental Health. I can think of no better way to pay tribute to this special young man.”

– Story by Travis Highfield

Photos by Judith Pishnery and provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.