Miami’s director of student wellness awarded the Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award

When it comes to wellness, Rebecca Young believes no one can do it alone. That philosophy of collaboration recently earned Miami University’s director of student wellness one of Ohio’s top community-based behavioral health risk prevention awards.

The Rachel Hutzel Prevention Partner Award, presented by PreventionFIRST! and acknowledged by the Ohio Senate, honors leaders who strengthen community-based prevention and advance public health through collaboration. PreventionFIRST! is a nonprofit organization that uses strategic data analysis to reduce behavioral health risks.

For Young, the recognition is both humbling and motivating.

“Working alongside community members, colleagues and leaders on topics regarding mental health has strengthened my perspective that we all have a part to play,” Young said.

The Rachel Hutzel Award is named after the late Warren County prosecutor and PreventionFirst! board member who championed community health and prevention initiatives.

Presented annually by PreventionFIRST!, the award recognizes people who embody Hutzel’s values of collaboration, advocacy and dedication to prevention. Recipients are chosen for creating sustainable, community-driven programs that improve access to care and reduce health risks.

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Christi Valentini-Lackner, chief program officer at PreventionFIRST!, said Young exemplifies these values perfectly.

“Rebecca has a long history of advocating for prevention in the higher ed sector,” Valentini-Lackner said. “She has a curiosity that leads to continuous learning, collaboration and openness to feedback. She is persistent and determined.”

Young has spearheaded workshops and initiatives normalizing conversations around mental health, equipping students with skills to support their peers and ensuring resources are accessible when and where students need them most.

Hannah Treadway, operations and health education compliance coordinator, highlighted Young’s leadership within the office.

“Rebecca is an empathetic leader who inspires confidence and empowers us to do more and be our best,” Treadway said. “Her recognition motivates the entire wellness team by showing us what’s possible when leadership is grounded in empathy, vision and collaboration.”

Treadway said she’s noticed a significant culture shift around wellness topics since her time as a Miami student in 2019.

“Leaders like Rebecca help create meaningful programming that positively impacts students’ daily lives,” she said.

The recognition also shines a light on the growing partnership between PreventionFIRST! and Miami. Valentini-Lackner said under Young’s leadership, workshops and events have focused on mental wellness, which is a regular part of the student experience at Miami.

One example of this is the Health Advocates for Wellness, Knowledge and Skills, which is a group of 45 student peer health educators who have provided decades of health and wellness education, encouraging students to make free and healthy decisions.

Valentini-Lackner said these types of prevention efforts on college campuses can be directly correlated to students’ academic achievements.

“Prevention on college campuses is vital for student success and well-being,” she said. “When students know how to access resources and feel their needs are being met, they can focus on their studies. Campuses with strong behavioral health and wellness initiatives are safer, more welcoming and support higher engagement and retention.”

She also noted that one of the most pressing challenges is funding. Limited state resources and shifting legislation can make it difficult for institutions to sustain prevention initiatives, even as the demand for mental health and wellness support continues to grow.

Still, Valentini-Lackner said awards like this play a crucial role in spotlighting the impact of prevention leaders, who she says are not thanked enough.

“Most folks in the field of prevention do the work because they are called to make a difference,” she said. “Awards like this are needed because this work can be a thankless job and those that do it well, like Rebecca, deserve to be recognized.”

With the Rachel Hutzel Award, Young’s work has not only been recognized, but elevated as a model of what prevention can achieve when dedication, innovation and collaboration come together.

Young said she continues to remain focused on the students who motivate her work every day and the people who collaborate to make the Office of Student Wellness at Miami and the Oxford community what it is today.

wenholje@miamioh.edu