Prime is a quantity.
Unique, a product unachievable by any two other numbers. 2, 3, 7 …
Prime is a quality.
Excellent, of the highest caliber. Outstanding, Choice, Top-Notch…
In both quantity and quality, this column features Prime Examples of what makes us Florida Tech.
To be well is to be healthy. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.
While wellness in one area does not necessarily require it in the others, they are undeniably linked. Personal fitness, intellectual acuity, emotional maturity: Ultimate wellness commands all three—a balance that leads to satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness. Like most things, achieving it takes effort, consistency, evaluation, adaptation. And proactivity is key.
Whether for our students, faculty, staff or the greater community, at Florida Tech, we make wellness a priority.
Here are a few prime examples.
2 Mental Health Accolades
Insight Into Academia magazine’s 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-being Award
Among 71 schools in the country—and just five in the state—to receive the recognition, Florida Tech received the award for its dozens of mental health resources for students, faculty and staff. The university’s award application highlighted two unique campus programs:
“YOU MATTER” INITIATIVE: a campaign sponsored by the Parent Leadership Council that installed three benches engraved with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline across campus to create conversation and share resources about mental health, suicide awareness and suicide prevention
“PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE MINUTE”: a quick and engaging WFIT– and School of Psychology-sponsored weekly radio segment that presents relevant, interesting and digestible research to the public, covering topics such as happiness, healthy relationships, the importance of sleep and burnout
The Princeton Review‘s 2026 Mental Health Services Honor Roll
Now in its second year, this designation recognizes just 30 institutions nationwide for their “exceptional dedication and commitment to their students’ mental health and well-being” based on data from the publication’s Campus Mental Health Survey, which polled administrators at 540 colleges about their schools’ counseling, mental health and wellness services for students.
3 Proactive Partnerships
Behind You
Florida Tech’s Community Psychological Services is providing free telehealth therapy sessions to food and beverage workers through Behind You, a multistate effort run by Houston-based nonprofit Southern Smoke Foundation. The foundation aims to help food and beverage workers by reducing barriers to treatment, establishing support systems and creating industrywide national dialogue about mental health. Florida Tech’s pilot program kicked off Sept. 1, 2025, and is being carried out by advanced clinical psychology Psy.D. students and Scott Gustafson, professor and CPS director.
Winter Haven Hospital Foundation
After five years implementing integrative mental and physical health training for Florida Tech Psy.D. students, the School of Psychology has renewed its partnership with Winter Haven Hospital Foundation and Florida State University College of Medicine. The partnership, established by Joel Thomas ’97 MBA and assistant professor of clinical psychology Patrick Aragon, gives doctoral students from both universities a chance to gain unique clinical experience while helping expand access to mental health services in Polk County. Thirteen Florida Tech students have served more than 2,000 patients since the program was established in 2020, Thomas said.
Who We Play For
With the health and safety of Florida Tech scholar-athletes in mind, the athletic department partners with Who We Play For (WWPF), a local nonprofit that raises awareness for cardiac treatment and preventive care. Each fall before practices begin, WWPF comes to campus and performs electrocardiograms (ECGs) for all Florida Tech scholar-athletes, a practice that can detect preventable conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and potentially, save lives.
7 Helpful Campus Resources
Charles and Ruth Clemente Center for Sports and Recreation
Campus gym and fitness center + healthy dining area
O.A. Holzer Student Health Center
Health services center offering medical consulting and services to students
Student Counseling Center
Facility where mental health professionals offer crisis intervention, counseling for common stressors—like anxiety and depression—and outreach and education programs
CARE Team
A behavioral intervention team that helps identify and assist students struggling with mental, physical and behavioral health
Panther Peer Mentor Program
Program pairing upperclassmen mentors with incoming and returning students
Panthera
AI-enabled chatbot representative that checks in with students about their Florida Tech experience how and when they need
TalkCampus
App that safely and anonymously connects students around the world to talk about their problems before they escalate
This piece was featured in the winter 2026 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
