On March 31, Hill welcomed award-winning author Mitch Albom as the final speaker of this year’s Tom Ruth series. Best known for his memoir “Tuesdays With Morrie” and his long career in sports journalism, Albom brought insights from his personal and professional life to reflect on campus.
Arriving at Hill, Albom split his time among four separate groups: this year’s varsity captains, Hill’s multimedia journalism course, staff writers of The Hill News and the entire student body. Across all settings, his message remained consistent: success could mean nothing when you don’t know how to handle it. He offered advice beyond academics, focusing on character building, the purpose of life and relationships.
When speaking with varsity captains, Albom gathered experience from his years of being in the sports circle, highlighting both the highs and lows of competition.
“I have seen how hard it is to win, and I have seen how hard it is to lose,” he said, solidifying this with his own anecdote.
He warned student athletes to stay aware of how success can change relationships, saying, “Be very careful of who you trust when you become successful.”
His stories varied from professional careers to college careers. He was most passionate about covering the University of Michigan men’s basketball team. Being with this team helped shape many of his perspectives, allowing him to witness firsthand the mindset of different athletes.
In his session with The Hill News and journalism students, Albom shifted his storytelling and purpose to writing. He reflected on his path to writing when he had no intentions of going into journalism until taking a job at a small newspaper company. From there, he opened himself up to more opportunities he never thought he had by staying curious throughout. He encourages all students to do the same, emphasizing that journalism begins with curiosity in seeking the truth. “Don’t read about it, don’t watch about it, go see it,” he advised the students to experience the world directly rather than passively obtaining it.
“Our meeting with him was impactful, with him giving us advice,” Chase Zhang ’27 said. Zhang, who attended the meeting, currently serves as a staff writer for The Hill News.
Albom’s last speech of the day was given in front of the entire Hill community. He centered his talk on Morrie Schwartz, his former sociology professor at Brandeis University, and the lessons that ultimately changed his life. He described reconnecting with Schwartz during his battle with ALS and realizing that everything he once valued, the success, money, recognition, meant so little compared to relationships and purpose. That experience not only inspired his best-selling memoir “Tuesdays with Morrie” but also reshaped how Albom lived.
Many students during this talk felt emotional. Ellie Jones ‘27 said, “When the video of the little girl was presented, it made me tear up.” He spoke about how Morrie taught him that giving, rather than taking, is what makes a person feel truly alive.
This mindset of giving led Albom to expand his work far beyond writing, including his ongoing efforts in Haiti, where he runs an orphanage and supports education initiatives. He shared how access to education there can be life-changing, reinforcing his belief that even helping one person can create a much larger impact.
“The things that stay with you are the things that are unfair,” Albom said.
On top of changing others’ lives, he addressed how the kids in Haiti changed his, too. They gave him a “family” that he never once built.
Throughout all his talks, Albom returned to one central theme: responsibility. He reminded students that the opportunities they have come with an obligation to act.
“The only thing you should feel guilty about is not doing something with what you have,” Albom said, leaving students with a challenge that extended far beyond the classroom.