Key Points
- Located in FSU’s Student Union, the Hope Booth offers a three-minute guided experience with personalized messages and coping strategies to support student mental health.
- FSU is the first university in the country to offer a Hope Booth as a resource. More than 370 people have used it during its first 10 days.
Florida State University has become the first college campus in the nation to install a Hope Booth, an innovative resource designed to expand access to mental health support.
Located on the first floor of the Student Union, the booth offers an interactive video experience designed to deliver immediate encouragement and support.
“Florida State is actively fighting to help break down the barriers and stigma of mental health concerns,” Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht said. “We are grateful to offer the Hope Booth on campus, expanding our wellness support with this innovative resource.”
FSU Counseling & Psychological Services recently celebrated the opening of the Hope Booth. Based out of Atlanta, Hope Booth is a mental health and suicide prevention nonprofit whose mission is to deliver hope and connect individuals to free support and resources.
Students, faculty, staff and visitors can visit Hope Booth any time to begin a three-minute immersive experience. There is an adjustable height button to help with viewing the screen and closed captioning accessibility. After the user answers a few questions, the narrator will provide encouraging words of hope and action steps such as deep breathing or repeating positive words of affirmation.
Gloria Umanah, founder and CEO of Hope Booth, spoke to students and staff who gathered at the Student Union for the unveiling. She asked students to think of their mental health as performing maintenance on a vehicle with certain steps car owners can take to help keep the car running before the check engine light comes on.
“We think mental health care should be the same,” Umanah said. “You don’t have to be on the verge of crises. What does it look like to take care of our mental health, to rejuvenate our own hope and then spread that hope everywhere we go so eventually we pioneer a movement where no one goes unseen?”
Booths have been installed in 18 states and three countries since they debuted in October 2021. FSU marked the organization’s 42nd booth placement.
Carlos J. Gómez, associate vice president for Health, Wellness, and Safety and dean of students, said Hope Booth was placed at the Student Union for visibility.
“In the first 10 days, 374 individuals have used the Hope Booth,” Gómez said. “We are pleased to create another space on campus where students can pause, reflect and connect with mental health resources.”
Umanah said, “Hope should be in the way, in our everyday spaces and places. It is not an embarrassment or a shame to use a Hope Booth. This is part of how we spread hope every day so thank you for allowing us to bring it to FSU. Everybody needs hope.”
The $25,000 Hope Booth installation was made possible by the Stanley 1913 Creators Fund and will remain on campus for at least two years. Hope Booth’s programming is developed in collaboration with a board of mental health experts, ensuring all content is grounded in evidence-based practices.
Yvonne Langdon-Maduekwe, director of FSU Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), said Hope Booth provides students with a space to engage in guided, evidence-based activities designed to reduce stress, build resilience and promote emotional well-being.
“It’s another step toward fostering an even healthier supportive FSU community,” Langdon-Maduekwe said. “Seeing students consistently come to CAPS each year demonstrates the need for mental health support amongst college students and highlights the value of these supports on our campus.”
CAPS served more than 12,000 members of the FSU community in the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Through outreach, CAPS not only provides education and prevention services, but also ensures that we are visible and accessible to the students, allowing them to seek the support they need,” said Rebecca Whitfield, associate director for Treatment Coordination and Outreach for CAPS.
Resources and support for students, parents, faculty and staff can be found on the FSU Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) website or call (850) 644-TALK (8255).
