The new benches are outside the Clemente Center
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – A parent-led initiative at Florida Tech has spent months reminding people how crucial it is to converse about mental health.
Now, three new benches on campus could be what ignites that conversation. According to the American College Health Association, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students and young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.
Deborah Carson, a member of Florida Tech’s Parent Leadership Council (PLC), brought the “You Matter” initiative to campus after a teen she knew took their own life.
The initiative, created in honor of the teen, aims to save lives from suicide by creating conversation, sharing resources, and spreading kindness.
“We know the pressures our students are under between academics, some of them moving across the world, to be at this school,” Carson said.
Carson’s main goal was to raise enough money to place two benches on campus, engraved with the “You Matter” message and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The PLC exceeded that goal, raising enough money for three.
“These benches represent, for me as a parent, a form of hope, or a reminder that each child, not just my own, but each child or each person that walks on this campus matters to someone…to this world,” Carson said.
The Florida Tech campaign began with distributing magnets and stickers to students last fall to spread awareness about the 988 crisis line. The service became nationally available to all landline and cell phone users via call, chat or text in July 2022, and it connects those in crisis to immediate support and resources.
“We are seeing a lot of students who were unaware of the option to utilize the new short code 988. So bringing that to them and creating a heightened awareness has been exciting,” said David McMahan, vice president for student affairs.
The new benches are outside the Clemente Center, the Student Success Center and the Catanese Varsity Training Center. While feedback was largely positive after installation, Carson said some people have questioned how much a bench could actually help.
“The bench isn’t going to save their life, but the resources may – those conversations of people understanding that they truly, truly matter,” Carson said of the information engraved on each bench.
“You Matter” is just one part of a larger web of support for students at Florida Tech. Last year, the university partnered with TalkCampus, an app that connects students across the globe looking for peer support with other students. For students in crisis, that conversation is escalated to a master’s level clinician. The program is available 24/7.
Florida Tech also introduced EdSightS, a platform that regularly checks in with students through text, last December. It asks questions about academic work, finances, health and wellness and mental support, which McMahan said allows the university to stay connected and figure out who’s in need.
The university’s Student Counseling Center offers a variety of free and confidential mental health and wellness services to support students so they can successfully reach their goals.
As the You Matter initiative moves forward, Carson wants awareness and conversation to move forward within the student body. Expect more outreach and possible student representation at future PLC meetings.
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