Leaving is a Gift

I grew up by the water.
So, being here now, I know, I’m a long way from home.

It’s very dry up here in Ohio,
But I got used to it.

When you grow up next to the water, on the water,
You learn a lot about time.

My dad was a professional surfer.
And the most important timing he’s shown me is this:
Knowing when it’s time to leave.

Leaving isn’t just something that happens.
It’s something you learn to do.

And I’ve come to believe:
To leave is to give.
It’s one of the biggest acts of kindness you can offer
To yourself,
And to others.

When you ride a wave,
You make a choice.

You choose a direction.
A path.

And in that same moment,
You leave behind another wave.
Another opportunity, for someone else.

Right now, we’re all sitting out in the water.
But our wave is coming.

It’s scary and exciting all at once.
And I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking it too:

This is the best damn school in the land, and I don’t want to leave.

But I’m asking you
Don’t look back on what you’ll lose.
Look forward at the opportunity you’re giving yourself...
To build your future.

When you surf, you can’t paddle for a wave half-heartedly.
You have to go all in.

So, I’m challenging you:
Go all in as you leave.

Waves come and go.
That’s the cycle of this all.

For each of us, there was someone who left
So, we could be here.

Maybe it was a parent who left a job, a country, or a difficult situation
To create this opportunity.

Maybe it was an older sibling who paved the way.

Or maybe it was someone you’ve never met
A scholar, a donor, a professor,
A graduating senior who left behind a seat in a program
So, you could take your place.

For me, it was a cohort of actors who left this program:
Sean, Jess, Connor, Jake, Matt, Rina, Lillian, Erin, and Kylie.

Each of them stepping into new chapters
As professors, working artists, and teachers.

Their departure made space for me to enter.
And their legacy challenged me to use my time well.

We don’t talk about it enough
But leaving is a gift.

Because when you leave,
You also leave something behind.

Something that says:
Here’s how I used my opportunity.

So, I ask you:
What are you leaving behind at The Ohio State University?
And what are you giving to the future?

Maybe you can’t answer both.
That’s okay.

But someone will come after you.
And they may never know it
But your presence, your contributions to this university,
Are part of the path that was paved for them.

As for me and my imprint
I leave behind a space that has been my creative home for three years.

Classrooms where my students reminded me
How to unapologetically swing for the fences.

Stages where I learned to live in the question.

And a remarkable faculty that reminded me,
Over and over again,
That perfect is arbitrary.

And for all the things I’m leaving behind
Those are gifts for the students right behind me.

So if you’re feeling uncertain about the next step
If you’re not sure what wave to catch

I offer you this quote from one of the great philosophers of our time, Mick Jagger:
“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try some time, you just might find… you get what you need.”

Before we all step forward

Before we say our final goodbye

I’m no philosopher,
But I’ll leave you with two letters that say everything:

O-H