UNF student Megan Mooney was killed in a car accident on Phillips Highway on Saturday, July 31. In the weeks that have followed, her family and friends have spent the time celebrating her life and learning to live in a world now without her.

Megan was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority, an athlete, and a dear friend to many. She worked at Publix and Surfer The Bar, known for her smile and positive energy.

According to her friends, she was a bright light of joy and radiated fun to those around her. The life of the party, Megan was always making the best of life and while everyone else was just along for the ride. 

“She was always great at getting people out of their shells. She got me out of my shell,” said Alyssa Duros, Megan’s close friend, sorority sister, and former roommate.

Ashlyn Dugan, Megan’s friend, and sorority sister said “she’d be the one to talk to the quiet person at the party and get them to come and join the group.”

The two reminisced about the best times they had with her. For Dugan, it was a trip to the beach with Delta Gamma. 

“She had so much energy. I was so tired and she was able to keep going,” said Dugan.

For Duros, it was a surprise trip to Disney World. They didn’t know where they were going but were swept up by friends. 

“We weren’t dressed for it at all,” she laughed. “We were wearing, like, jeans and tank tops. But once we were there we had an amazing time.”

Megan was known for her laid-back, charismatic personality which charmed everyone around her and influenced them to enjoy life more. “Her catchphrase was ‘go with the flow,’” said Duros. “And she’d do this little, like, shaka thing with her hands.”

“At all the philanthropy events at UNF, she’d be the first person to start playing,” said Dugan. 

Both of Megan’s friends also said, with certainty, that “everyone loved her.” Duros said people would come to Surfer The Bar just to see her while she was working. Her two brothers, as well, were immensely close to her and loved her dearly. 

Megan was only 22 when she died and was set to graduate from UNF in the spring semester of 2022. A fun-loving, easy-going girl, she will be remembered by those close to her as a source of joy, love, and positivity. 

UNF offers counseling for those who feel they would like to talk to someone.

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