Graduates gather outside the Schottenstein Center Sunday to celebrate with friends and family following the commencement ceremony.
After Gene Smith said his final goodbye to Ohio State athletics, he chose to say one more farewell to the 2023 graduating class on Sunday.
About 2,383 graduates gathered in the Schottenstein Center to receive their degrees and gather as Buckeyes one last time. The university awarded degrees to 3,515 graduates, 170 of which were Ph.D.s, 444 masters degrees, 13 professional degrees, and 2,888 undergraduate degrees, associate degrees and certificates, according to Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for student life.
Shivers gave opening remarks, welcomed attendees and commended graduates for their hard work.
“Commencement at The Ohio State University is not only a tangible demonstration of our institutional purpose, but also a celebration of excellence,” Shivers said. “The students that you are about to welcome into this arena have earned the right to be graduates, to be graduates, of The Ohio State University.”
Acting president Peter Mohler introduced the commencement speaker, Ohio State Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletic Director Gene Smith, as a “living legend.”
Mohler said Smith’s accomplishments include being one of only three individuals in history to win a national championship as a football player, a coach and an administrator. He added that Smith’s achievements also include 484 team and individual championships, 140 united team and individual national championships and regular top-five finishes in the Directors’ Cup Standings.
“With a career of his caliber, you can be sure that Gene has learned a great deal of wisdom, and we’re grateful that he’s agreed to share some of that with us today,” Mohler said.
Speaking to the graduating class at this year’s autumn commencement was one of the greatest honors of his life, Smith said. His message centered on how to live one’s life so one will be missed.
“We are the total sum of our experiences in life and we will be evaluated on how we learn from those experiences and the impact that we have on others,” Smith said.
Naturally, Smith shared his gratitude toward the class of 2023 by not only saluting their acquired knowledge and promising future but also by thanking them for their strong presence at game days in The ’Shoe.
“Hopefully you’ve made some memories that will last you a lifetime,” Smith said. “The lessons you have learned at Ohio State help build upon your talents and skills and filled your toolbox. You are so equipped with curiosity, energy and confidence”
Smith said as the graduates embark on their new journeys, he encourages them to value their integrity and to be honest and respectful in every action they take.
As he spoke directly to the graduates themselves, Smith said that they’re still learning and navigating their path through life, and that includes their careers. Whether they have their dream job or a job they don’t see themselves staying at, they should strive to be the best at it, he said.
“But remember, the best job in the world is the one you have, so do it excellently, do it to the best of your ability,” Smith said. “If you want the next job, you better be doing this first job exceptionally well. Keep searching until you find what you love to do, don’t sell it, and when you find it, you’ll know.”
Life is people-centered, building relationships and connecting with others is important, Smith said. This is how one sets themselves apart from others.
Smith said if there was one thing he wanted the graduates to take away from his speech, it was that everyone is the sum of their experiences and that one should learn from them and embrace them. Smith also encouraged the graduates to remember that people are “the heart and soul of all that matters.”
“People should be your focus, that’s how you differentiate yourself, that’s how when you leave, you’ll be missed,” Smith said.
Molly Ranz Calhoun, president and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, led the ceremony into closing remarks. As she went through the many memories the graduates made while on campus, she assured them that those will be the memories they learn from, shaping them into who they are.
“Because life is all about the moments, both big and small, and as a Buckeye family, there will always be much more to share and even more to celebrate,” Calhoun said. “Congratulations
