Furman University in Greensville, South Carolina, has announced a $10 million gift from alumnus and trustee U.S. Rep. David Trone (’77) (D-MD) and his wife, June.

Made through the David and June Trone Family Foundation, the gift includes $8.5 million dedicated to student mental health services, of which $1 million will be used to expand and renovate the university’s counseling center to create more group space and areas to practice mindfulness, and to provide flexible space for the expansion of other services and programs. The space will be renamed the Trone Center for Mental Fitness. The additional $7.5 million will create the Trone Family Fund for Student Mental Health and Well-Being, which will fund positions to ensure a consistent level of professional staffing that adapts as methods for engaging in mental fitness change—starting with the hiring of a health and well-being coordinator—and to endow a position that oversees mental health at the university and ensures the hiring of a diverse staff to reflect the student population.

The remaining $1.5 million will support Furman’s Hillel, the Jewish Student Association by establishing the Hillel Endowment Fund to provide permanent support to expand and enhance the Furman Hillel for a more robust Jewish life for all students and the broader community. 

According to the university, mental health problems among college students have been on the rise in recent years and the pandemic exacerbated the issue. A spring 2021 national Healthy Minds Network study found that 41 percent of college students were clinically depressed, and 34 percent had anxiety disorder. In a fall 2021 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, nearly 73 percent of more than 33,000 respondents reported moderate to serious psychological distress. In a recent survey of Furman students, 65 percent said the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted their mental health and 63 percent said it affected their loneliness and isolation.

“In this day and age, it is vital that we work together to break the stigma surrounding mental health, ensure tolerance in our diverse communities, and equip our students with the tools and resources to succeed,” said Trone, whose nephew, Ian Trone, died from a fentanyl overdose. “With this gift through the David and June Trone Family Foundation, I trust that Furman University will continue to positively impact and shape our nation’s future leaders.” 

(Photo Credit: Furman University)