Key Impact Points:
- The new LeFrak Center integrates physical, mental, and financial wellness under one roof—a first-of-its-kind on any U.S. campus.
- Francine LeFrak calls the Center “a model that should be studied, celebrated, and replicated,” urging universities nationwide to adopt a holistic approach.
- Student Gabriella Sarahi Martinez Rodriguez ’28 says the Center “changed the way I live,” highlighting its transformative power for underserved students.
A Campus Milestone for Student Wellness
Barnard College has officially opened the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being—a pioneering facility that unites three essential pillars of health: physical, mental, and financial. The June 3rd ribbon-cutting marked the culmination of five years of vision and commitment from philanthropist Francine LeFrak, the College, and its broader community.
“Throughout the night, guests experienced our three-pillar approach in action,” said Francine LeFrak, reflecting on the grand opening. The event included a celebratory toast and dedication of the Ethel S. LeFrak ’41 and Samuel J. LeFrak Theatre, where performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell, JT Harding, and Music City lit up the state-of-the-art space.
A Model for Holistic Well-Being
The Center’s approach redefines what student support can look like. “When Barnard College first approached me about building a center for well-being, they had a compelling vision,” said LeFrak. “But I knew something critical was missing… true well-being requires three pillars: physical, mental, and financial health.”
With facilities for fitness, mental health services, and financial literacy training, the Center offers a replicable blueprint for universities addressing student stress and life preparation in an integrated way.
“This formula—addressing physical, mental, and financial health together—is not just innovative; it’s necessary. It is a model that should be studied, celebrated, and replicated.”
Changing Student Trajectories
For students like Gabriella Sarahi Martinez Rodriguez ’28, the Center has been life-changing. A LeFrak Financial Ambassador who arrived in the U.S. at 16 after leaving Mexico and living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she shared:
“The Center changed the way I live. I had no idea how to navigate life [in America] in a way that would allow me to thrive financially, emotionally, or otherwise, but here I found a space that changed the way I [will leave] Barnard.”
“Through [the Francine LeFrak Center], I took my first financial literacy course, where I learned how to open a bank account, start saving, and begin building confidence in navigating systems that often feel unfamiliar and inaccessible to students like me,” she said. “That is the wave of change happening here — women learning to walk into rooms that have been historically excluded from, not just with knowledge but with power.”
Legacy and Leadership
The Center also honors LeFrak’s mother, Ethel S. LeFrak ’41, whose legacy is enshrined in the theater that now bears her name. “Her legacy of joy, generosity, and belief in women’s potential lives on in every corner of this space,” said Francine.
As President Laura Ann Rosenbury noted at the ceremony, the Center signals a bold commitment by Barnard to redefine leadership through well-being. The space is already serving as a vibrant hub for wellness initiatives, student leadership, and inclusive dialogue.
Looking Ahead
For LeFrak, the Center is the beginning—not the end—of a broader movement. “My hope is that this becomes a model for campuses everywhere, because well-being is leadership.”
As a philanthropist and founder of Same Sky, Francine LeFrak has long advocated for economic empowerment through the “dignity of work.” With this Center, she has created a space where that dignity begins with knowledge, belonging, and opportunity.
Related Article: From Rwanda to Barnard: Francine A. LeFrak’s Vision for Empowering Women
Follow SDG News on LinkedIn
