Between journeys to classes, campus events and dining halls, the sidewalks of Marquette’s campus are touched by thousands of footprints each day. On some days, the footprints that grace the pavement mean just a little bit more.
On April 6, 2024, over 200 members of the Marquette community joined together in the “Out of the Darkness” walk, the university’s second-annual event to raise awareness for suicide prevention efforts in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Those participating in the walk donned suicide prevention shirts and beaded necklaces as the crowd looped around campus.
364 days later, on April 5, 2025, the walk will return for its third installment.
“It’s about building community and building relationships with those that have been touched in some shape, way or form with suicide,” Bernadette Heitschmidt, director of the Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion, said. “Being able to listen to conversations of people and connect over this highly stigmatized mental health issue is really incredible.”
The walk was originally sparked by Elizabeth Gnau, a junior in the College of Nursing. Having seen one of the AFSP’s biggest suicide prevention walks in Madison while in high school, she wanted to bring a similar concept to Marquette. Coincidentally, Heitschmidt had a similar vision, and after reaching out to the AFSP, it became a reality in 2023.
During the first year of the walk, over $5,000 was raised for the AFSP. Year two, the fundraising goal was lifted to $10,000, which fell short with a total of just over $8,500. This year, the five-digit goal is returning, with the hope that it will be met and exceeded.
“[The money] goes back to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, specifically for school education, to put on programs, events, help with the day of the walk [and] logistics that need to happen,” Heitschmidt said. “It goes back into suicide prevention for college students.”
This year, the time leading up to the “Out of the Darkness” walk will look a little bit different, as there are monthly events hosted to raise awareness and education for suicide prevention efforts. Among them is “Talk Saves Lives” on Feb. 24 on the third floor of the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility, an AFSP education program that will present attendees with potentially life-saving information on preventing a leading cause of death in the United States.
Also included in the changes to the 2025 chapter of the walk is the route itself, which will now guide participants along two laps of the “Marquette Mile,” which takes Wisconsin Avenue to 11th Street before circling back down Clybourn Street and 16th Street. Previously, the walk went from Eckstein Common to Central Mall, which presented logistical concerns.
“We had to cross a lot of streets, [which was] a little bit of a safety hazard,” Heitschmidt said. “And when you’re crossing streets and cars are crossing, it breaks up the group. So, this way, we’ll be able to keep the group more consolidated and together.”
As a community event, the visual of a herd of students walking together carries weight, one which Heitschmidt and Gnau sought to preserve.
“[Last year], I was walking toward the front of the pack, and we were turning onto 21st street, and I looked back and there were so many people,” Gnau said. “If people are walking around campus or driving around campus and seeing that, it draws attention to what all these people are doing.”
The hope is that the third walk will not only encourage and de-stigmatize conversations around suicide prevention but empower those in the Marquette community to support one another.
“Everyone is there for a different reason. It’s a cool visual to see the impact, but then also this community coming together that’s been impacted,” Gnau said. “There’s a lot of power that comes from that.”
Registration information for the 2025 “Out of the Darkness” campus walk can be found here.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately or text TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Support is also offered at Marquette by visiting the Center for Student Health and Wellness Promotion or the Counseling Center on the third floor of the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility.
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at lance.schulteis@marquette.edu.
