As Wendy Parrish walked into the Oval Office, she carried the memory of her 18-year-old
niece and the mission to prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating
loss. Parrish, Director of College Operations and Executive Administrator to the Dean
for the Linda Berry Stein College of Arts & Sciences at Jacksonville University, stood
behind President Trump as he signed the 2025 SUPPORT Act into law. 
She was invited in her role as founder and president of Lilli's Light, a Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to educating students and parents about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning, fake prescription pills, and the lifesaving benefits of naloxone. She joined other bereaved families who have lost loved ones to the fentanyl crisis.
“Our mission is deeply personal,” Parrish said. “I lost my 18-year-old goddaughter, and niece, Lilli Pease, to fentanyl poisoning when a friend gave her a substance containing enough fentanyl to kill 10 people.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, with synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, responsible for approximately 69 percent of those deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45.
“In 2016, I had never even heard of fentanyl, and Lilli had no intention of taking it,” Parrish said. “It is odorless, tasteless, and often pressed to look like legitimate prescription medications. Traffickers disguise fentanyl as Xanax, Adderall, Oxycodone, and other familiar pills, known as ‘fentapills.’”
The newly signed SUPPORT Act reauthorizes critical prevention, treatment, and recovery programs through fiscal year 2030, including increased funding for Communities of Recovery Grants and residential treatment for pregnant and postpartum individuals.
“Wendy has transformed her personal tragedy into meaningful action that serves as an incredible inspiration for our entire campus community," said Dr. Chris Corbo, dean of the Linda Berry Stein College of Arts & Sciences. “This honor is a fitting reflection of Wendy’s passion to protect others and her dedication to fentanyl education and prevention.”
Jacksonville University offers Fentanyl Awareness Programs and naloxone training to its campus community and is the first university in Duval County to install Narcan cabinets, offering free, easily accessible doses of the lifesaving medication. Thatiana Lott, prevention coordinator for the Hanley Foundation and a JU alumna, gifted these cabinets to the university.
“I thank President Trump for bringing fentanyl to the forefront of national conversation and action,” Parrish said. “His leadership is helping families understand the danger we never saw coming.”
