Brief: Dedicated to Resilience and Well-Being

Before even seeing a counselor, the calming effects of the newly renovated Trone Center for Mental Fitness can be felt.

The walls are covered in soothing blues and off-whites, with some showcasing work by local artists. Large windows introduce natural light and integrate the campus’s natural beauty. The new LED circadian lighting system can be adjusted to enhance the body’s natural rhythms and promote alertness and serenity.

“A beautiful, well-curated place creates a healing environment,” said Allyson Brathwaite-Gardner, director of the counseling center, before the official dedication ceremony on Nov. 11. “When you come to explore what’s in your mind, you want a place that’s aesthetically pleasing, calming, integrated.”

Aesthetics are the most immediately evident change in the counseling center, but the renovation – made possible by a $10 million gift from David ’77 and June Trone – reflects a commitment to a deeper transformation, said Furman President Elizabeth Davis, during the dedication of the counseling center last November.

“The space is beautiful, inviting and conducive to healing,” she said. “But solving the growing demand for mental health care requires the center to serve as a hub of innovation in how we deliver care and how we educate our students.”

The gift funds positions, including a health promotions coordinator dedicated to providing programs, and education and support for students’ emotional, social, spiritual, physical, financial, career, academic and environmental well-being. The facility also offers accommodations for students with sensory needs.

In April 2023, Furman launched Clearly Furman, the Campaign for Our Third Century, the university’s $426 million comprehensive campaign. The Trones’ gift supports the funding priority devoted to wellness, belonging and community. The gift also created the Hillel Endowment Fund to expand and enhance the Furman Hillel to foster a more vibrant Jewish life and offer students a welcoming place to form community.

In any given year, 25% of Furman’s student body uses the counseling center.

“We’re trying to expand to that other 75%,” said Tom Baez, retired director of the counseling center. “Not necessarily because they’re in crisis, but because of the idea of resilience. Everybody can benefit from developing your mental structure.”

Thanks to the renovation, which created several new rooms and offices, the counseling center can now offer group meetings and other expanded services, Baez said. And even the new name can reduce the stigma of seeking help.

“‘Health’ is a state of well-being, and we’re all familiar with the need to keep up our physical health,” said Davis. “‘Fitness’ can be seen as the activity required to achieve a state of well-being. We want students to be mentally healthy, resilient and adaptable to change in the face of adversity by being mentally fit.”

Besides counseling services, students also can take advantage of the online TAO Tools self-help platform and other support services, including a crisis hotline, said Baez. Students are introduced to mental fitness through the Pathways Program, and student organizations such as Paladin Peer Support promote well-being on campus.

Trone, an emeritus member of Furman’s Board of Trustees, has made mental health a legislative priority as a member of Congress from Maryland, speaking candidly about his nephew’s death from a fentanyl overdose. The family’s gift included funds for the counseling center’s renovation and established the Trone Family Endowed Fund for Student Mental Health and Well-being.

“Furman holds a very special place in my family’s heart,” said Julia Trone ’12, the Trones’ daughter and a school-based therapist in Maryland. “We’re so glad to hear that this addition to the school has already started to make an impact on students.”