Dear Urban Meyer,

Wow. Thank you for being you. Thank you for choosing to come to Ohio State and for continually making The Ohio State University one of the best choices of my life. While I am still recovering from the excitement of the amazing football season we have had so far, I would also like to thank you for your motivational and leadership skills.     

When I came to Ohio State in the fall of 2012 I was bursting with excitement and anticipation for college, but also quite nervous, especially since this was my second choice for school. During the beginning of my freshman year you came to the Park-Stradley residence hall on a Monday afternoon and spoke to a group of about 100 naïve freshmen (myself included) about starting the school year off right. We all expected to hear about nothing but football hype, but you sat down and spoke to us about the importance of keeping a level head and putting our schoolwork and family first. I was inspired to say the least and couldn’t wait to call my dad and tell him who I just heard speak.   

Last fall on both my first and last day of general chemistry, Professor Stoltzfus played a motivational video of you pumping up the Buckeyes for the season. In the video you talked about striving to be more than just average. Average is not an achievement. It talked about doing something that mattered and how cool it would be if there was a little bit of greatness inside us. This was an appropriate video to inspire us to work hard in chemistry, but I also passed it on to my brother. I showed my younger brother the video when he was in the midst of exams and taking the ACT during his junior year of high school. Now he is a senior and is receiving college acceptance letters in the mail (fingers crossed for Ohio State).   

For my Dad’s Christmas present this year I decided to get us tickets to the Big Ten Championship game. Since my dad and I are very similar in our stubbornness and opinions, I was a bit worried about the car ride to Indianapolis. However, as soon as we got on the highway I could tell it was going to be a good trip. From going to the Big Ten Fest at the convention center to screaming and high-fiving for every touchdown to running out of Lucas Oil Stadium wearing our matching championship hats, the game was amazing. It was a great day to be a Buckeye and I was happy to be able to share it with family.   

Now I know that you are not the only one responsible for these events, but thank you for living your values through your coaching strategy and for helping bring everyone together through our scarlet and gray spirit. Thank you for making the great state of Ohio proud and for inspiring us to do something that matters.   

Sincerely, 

Michelle Allen, Buckeye for Life