During the holiday season, we often think about the people who have shaped our lives. We gather to celebrate with some of them, while others loom large in our memories.
From family members and teachers to colleagues and friends, so many people inspire and encourage us to be our best selves.
Many folks have been incredibly influential in my life, and this is a perfect season to express my gratitude.
First, of course, I am grateful to my parents. My parents were generous to a fault in supporting me through all my activities in high school, college, and beyond. I think that few people have been more blessed than me with supportive, present parents. They influenced me the most through their unyielding and relentless love.
When I left home for college, I had the fortune to find a solid mentor: Neal Maxwell, the executive vice president of the University of Utah. Vice President Maxwell was an incredibly important figure on the University of Utah campus and was highly respected by faculty, staff and students. I was fortunate that, through my work in student government, I got to know him very well. We maintained a long-distance friendship when I left the university for New York and then during my travels around the country.
What I remember most about Vice President Maxwell is that he would always take the time in a very busy season to sit down and talk with me, listen to my concerns, and give me advice that helped me feel comfortable about the decisions that I was making. He also wrote several books on leadership and achieved a major leadership role in the LDS Church. His influence on me was profound, and he made a similar difference in many people’s lives.
Law school was the next stop on my journey after college. Professor Walter Gellhorn was a senior faculty member at Columbia University and the leading authority on administrative law in the country. When I decided that I was going to pursue both a doctorate in education, as well as a law degree, he acted as a very thoughtful advisor to me. And his support was vital to me as I struggled to finish both my law degree and my doctorate in a very short period. I maintained a very close relationship with Professor Gellhorn until he passed away.
Jack Kessler is a longstanding friend of mine who chaired the presidential search committee for The Ohio State University during my first tenure. He was a member of the University’s Board of Governors and was so thoughtful but tenacious in recruiting me to Ohio State. But what was special about Jack was his role as a consummate friend and advisor. For years, he has called me almost every morning, including right to this very day. He calls, checks on me, gives me good advice, gives me good information, and even gossip. But, most importantly, he is the kind of friend that will be there for me under any circumstance. I would say that Jack is my forever friend.
Professor Richard Chait, who is a Professor Emeritus at the Harvard College of Education, was hired during my second term at Ohio State to act as a consultant as we went through restructuring of our governance and our academic programs. Dick has a rare gift for telling me what I should hear and not what I want to hear. But he is always available and always kind in his criticism. I learned that listening to bad news can be very empowering when it is delivered in the right way, and he had an uncanny ability to do so. He and I have remained very close through my many years in higher education, and his influence remains critical in my presidential thinking.
Finally, Dr. Rebekah Gee is my daughter and an immense inspiration to me. Rebekah is not only a very bright young woman, but she has such strong, positive leadership skills. And she has learned how to maintain friendships across time and space unlike almost anyone that I have ever known. At the same time, she has always made certain that I was at the center of her life no matter where she found herself. I can expect a telephone call from her every evening at around 6, just to check in. It is immensely comforting.
Rebekah has also been a true model of resilience. She lost her mother when she was 15, she lost her first husband due to a terrible accident after she had been married for only 18 months, and she spent six months recovering from this accident. At first, it was uncertain that she would live, and then it was unclear whether she would ever walk again. But her positive spirit and perseverance allowed her to continue a journey of compassion and success. Rebekah has also given me wonderful identical twin granddaughters who, themselves, are very influential in my life—and I hope that my love and support for them has a lasting impact on them.
During this busy season, I hope you will all take time to remember the people who inspired your successes—and commit to helping others on their own life’s journeys.