Student and Founder of Anti-Bullying NPO

On May 6, 2012, at age 16, Ryan Hesslau ’18 decided to take a stand against bullying.

As a high school student, Hesslau said he had struggled with a fear of rejection and a desire for acceptance. “I was a messy, broken, selfish high school student,” he said. “I fell into pressures and temptations that caused me to overlook who I was intended to be.”

Hesslau began reading stories about teen victims of bullying being driven to commit suicide. These stories moved him to show people in surrounding communities how to love themselves and how to love one another.

So he started a Facebook page called foreverU with a mission to give teens struggling with bullying a sense of hope and purpose. What began as a social media outreach is today a faith-based, nonprofit organization.

foreverU has transformed into a fast-growing, teen-led, pro-love movement, actively working to reduce the occurrences of bullying by providing teens with the opportunity to be part of something greater, while also equipping them with the confidence they need.

Hesslau speaks to students at schools and churches. “I become an entirely different person when I walk on stage on behalf of foreverU,” he said, “most likely as a result of my passion for showing the younger generation what it means to love and how to build someone up rather than break them down.”

Hesslau said he and his team hope to expand their outreach in the next 3-5 years. They plan various fundraising events throughout the year, such as the annual fall Walk of Revival. Recently, Hesslau accepted a check from representatives at Liberty Mutual Insurance as part of one of his fundraisers.

During his freshman year, Hesslau, an entrepreneurial management major, was one of two students selected to participate in the Future Founders Fellowship as part of Trinity’s new Founding Partner status with Future Founders Foundation. He was also a semifinalist in the first annual U.Pitch competition.

After graduation he plans to build a career in motivational speaking, write a book, start other organizations, and become a pastor. “Every day is a new opportunity to keep living your story and continue on this journey that’s actively shaping us into the person we are intended to become.”

Faith has accompanied Hesslau on the journey that began on May 6. “God has walked beside me ever since,” Hesslau said. “This is His movement, and I’m just along for the ride. There’s no way we’d be able to create what we have without the work of the Holy Spirit.”