The health and well-being of students is a central focus of the Elon University community, and the construction of the new HealthEU Center, soon to be one of the most significant buildings on campus, is putting even more attention on that focus.
Anu Räisänen, director of the HealthEU initiative, said the new building will quickly and positively affect the quality of life for Elon’s faculty and students.
Through six different health dimensions – community, emotional, financial, physical, purpose and social – Elon University’s HealthEU program aims to assist community members in all aspects of their lives.
The new center on Haggard Avenue will be completed in 2026, and it will consist of several facilities, such as swimming pools and rock climbing walls for physical health, a relaxation room, and a Gender and LGBTQIA+ center for emotional health. It has been really valuable for communication with different groups because it helps people realize that we’re not just talking about physical well-being or we’re not just talking about emotional well-being.
“It has been really valuable for communication with different groups because it helps people realize that we’re not just talking about physical well-being or we’re not just talking about emotional well-being,” said Anu Räisänen, director of the HealthEU initiative.
The Elon community has offered wide support for this project, and several donations have been made to fund it. As of early June, donors and Elon alumni raised $20 million for the center.
Mark and Kim Tyson, Elon graduates from 1998 and 1999 respectively, donated $3 million to the Counseling Center in support of the HealthEU cause.
“It is great to see that donors, especially Elon alumni, but also members of the community, embraced the mission and vision for HealthEU,” Räisänen said.
HealthEU has received avid support because of its mission to tailor resources not just to Elon’s students, but also to its faculty. Räisänen said she looks forward to seeing people indulge in these new experiences, break free from their comfort zones and be pushed further as a community.
“People see the value of not just the new center, but overall, all the work we’re doing in HealthEU and aspire to do in future years,” Räisänen said.
Olivia Campbell
Olivia Campbell lives in Cary, North Carolina, and attends GRACE Christian School. A junior there, she’s part of the volleyball team, the cheer squad and the beach volleyball club. During her time in high school, Olivia has served as an editor for the school yearbook, has graduated from the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, and has amassed over 140 hours of community service, including time at UNC Hospital as a junior volunteer. She is also involved in National Honor Society, serves as the president of the High School Service Club and participated in the upperclassman trip to Europe. Experiencing the customs and history of Malta and Sicily, Olivia discovered her love for exploring new cultures. This summer, Olivia will serve as editor on the executive board of the Raleigh-Wake Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., a historical African-American national organization established to develop future Black leaders. She plans to pursue journalism/ broadcasting and political science in college. Olivia looks forward to what lies ahead and hopes to make an impact in her community through her love of journalism.
Juliana Ronda
Juliana Ronda is a rising senior at Academia María Reina in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. An avid reader since childhood, she often devours books in a single sitting. She serves as vice president of the National Art Honor Society and is a member of the Joseph Lorraine chapter of the National Honor Society. Juliana actively supports her school’s religious retreats and has volunteered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Puerto Rico. She also works part-time at MerchExp Online Fulfillment and hopes to intern with Rimas Publishing this summer. In her free time, Juliana enjoys painting and spending time at the beach. She plans to pursue a career in publishing, while also exploring the field of journalism.
Kordell Tate-Roberts
Kordell Tate-Roberts lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and currently attends Church Farm School, a private college prep boarding school in Exton, Pennsylvania. His passion for journalism began in 2022, when he started his own school newspaper. Currently, Kordell is the leader of many clubs. He is the president and founder of Book Club, president of Yearbook, associate journalist for the Marketing and Communications office, co-president of GSA, a member of Student Government, and the head of the interview committee for the Griffin Review, the school’s student magazine. As a member of the CFS choir, Kordell had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in April. Next year, Kordell plans to continue his journalism career, student ambassadorship,and hopefully start a student-led newspaper team. He also plans to continue his love and passion for musical theater.