Lynn's Snyder Center for Health and Wellness is a welcome addition to campus

It was one of the most anticipated additions to Lynn University's campus in 2023: a 20,000-square-foot health and wellness space offering professional services and state-of-the-art equipment at no cost to students. Today, the Snyder Center for Health and Wellnessis teeming with students and employees seeking to improve and maintain their overall well-being.

Debra Futterman

Debra Futterman, executive director for student health and wellness at Lynn, takes pride in knowing the university prioritizes wellness and invests in students and employees.

"In the short time the Snyder Center has been open, it has created a positive impact across the board," said Futterman. "It's rewarding and eye-opening to see how many students have sought counseling for the first time and to witness the amazing turnout for the fitness center. That's what we wanted this building to be-a wellness hub where students feel safe and encouraged to take care of themselves."

Just eight weeks after opening, the fitness center saw over 10,000 check-ins with an average of 1,272 unique individual weekly check-ins.

Teamwork

The centralized location of the Snyder Center allows for a stronger bond between staff across various departments, including Counseling Services, Student Health, and Student Wellness and Health Promotions. The collaborative workspace creates a cohesive work environment that enables Lynn's health and wellness teams to maximize workflow and help students seamlessly.

The Snyder Center's wellness department-which works in tandem with the Snyder Sanctuary-is an all-encompassing division with an educational and outreach-driven approach. Counselors lead groups based on students' requests, and case managers now reside on the same floor as counseling, working with the Dean of Students to support students struggling with deeper issues.

Currently, there's a mental health series for nearly every day of the school week. On Mindful Mondays, the team offers workbooks to help students manage emotions. Talking Tuesdays, in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences, invites honest conversations with peers. On Wellness Wednesdays, the team provides self-care activities at tables across campus, and Thoughtful Thursdays encourage discussions about timely topics with therapist-led activities.

The center also launched support groups to assist students who struggle with anxiety, social cues and forming connections. Additionally, the health center hosts an open forum chat led by nurses to teach students how to understand health insurance and other essential topics.

"It's not just about coming in and getting fixed for a cold-we do a lot of education and counseling," said Futterman. "We want to ensure our students have an outlet to share their feelings and a space to ask questions and learn how to regulate emotions."

Students front and center

At the Snyder Center, several students hold influential roles as wellness educators and fitness monitors. In these positions, students provide input to schedule classes, events and programs-all while learning the key skills that come with having an on-campus job.

Wellness educators such as Bella Verheyen, class of 2025, and Alyssa Ott, class of 2024, educate their peers by spreading awareness for stress management topics, nutrition, and maintaining healthy relationships. In addition, they host a 10-week "Wellness Certificate" course that students can use to boost their resumes. The course invites students to join a weekly Zoom call to learn about various health-related topics from doctors, professors and leading wellness professionals.

Verheyen, a criminal justice major, works in the Snyder Center's Student Wellness and Health Promotions office.

"I plan to either go to law school or join the FBI, and I've learned from my family that it can be easy to get lost and not take care of yourself when you have a demanding career like that," said Verheyen. "Being a wellness educator at Lynn not only helps me manage my stress, but the knowledge I've gained is helping me develop personally and professionally for the future."

Ott, a psychology major, has been working as a wellness educator for three years. She plans to pursue a master's degree and is interested in industrial and organizational psychology.

"I really enjoy hosting events like Wellness Wednesdays, where I can implement tools I've been learning in class," said Ott. "I encourage other students to take advantage of the many free resources on campus as well. A 45-minute mindfulness event or quick deep breathing sessions on campus can make a world of difference."

Fitness monitors like Gabe Rodriguez, class of 2024, are thrilled the Snyder Center is open. In addition to greeting visitors and checking them in, he cleans exercise equipment, works on class schedules and offers administrative support, among other responsibilities.

Rodriguez, who previously worked in Lynn's former fitness center, is currently working on a master's degree in healthcare administration and management, in addition to taking on more of a leadership role at the Snyder Center. He hopes to specialize in preventative healthcare at a hospital.

"Health has always been really important to me, so it's nice to work in a space where people are exercising and prioritizing their wellness," said Rodriguez. "The Snyder Center offers students all the tools to get fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle."

More group rooms and programs are scheduled to debut at the Snyder Center this year.

"As we continue to be more involved on campus, I hope that more students get engaged and take advantage of the Snyder Center's offerings, from free counseling services to fitness classes and more," said Futterman. "We want to keep wellness at the forefront of the Lynn experience."

Current programming can be found online via myLynn. For more information about Lynn's Snyder Center for Health & Wellness, visit lynn.edu/snyder-center.