Willie Geist says the hardest part of sending daughter Lucie to college was the anticipation, not the goodbye.
The Sunday Today host, 50, spoke with Olivia M. Hartwell at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala on Jan. 13, 2026, and shared how Lucie’s freshman year is unfolding.
“She’s good,” he said. “It’s funny – the anticipation I found of her leaving was much worse than the actual act of her leaving. She’s so happy at school, and she loves it so much that if she’s happy, my wife and I are happy.”
Geist explained that knowing Lucie, 18, is thriving “kind of relieves all that anxiety.”
“It’s obviously a huge step in our lives and in her life, but we’re so happy for her that all that anxious energy and tension that was building over the summer… has had a positive ending,” he added. “It was sad to say goodbye, but the minute she went, she was thrilled and happy. So we’re good.”
The Drop-Off Moment
In September, Geist told Today with Jenna & Friends that leaving Lucie at college went “much better than we thought it would.”
“Of course, it was sad in the moment when we said goodbye, but because she is so happy and we realized she is so ready,” he said. “You realize all that you’ve poured into this person for 18 years is now paying off, and she can handle herself. And she’s happy and she’s good.”
Geist admitted he got “teary” during the final hug, but remembered advice from a friend: “When you drop them off at college, if they don’t look back, you’ve done it right.”
“[Lucie] walked away and maybe gave a little [look back], but then she just kind of hopped up the stairs and went on to this new chapter. And she’s doing great. So it was beautiful,” he recalled.
Mom’s Perspective
Christina Geist, also 50, shared her feelings in an Aug. 18 Instagram post after the campus drop-off.
“As we walked away from campus and flew back home, we were proud, we were emotional, we were of course weepy. But, I just can’t call it sadness,” she wrote. “I was honestly so surprised at myself. It was – I guess I’d call it – peace.”
Adjusting to Life at Home
Before Lucie left, Willie described how the family of four would adapt to being three while she’s away.
“Somebody’s taken a tire off the car, and you’ve got to figure out how to drive the car on three wheels, you know?” he told Today colleagues in June.
The Geists also have son George, 16, who remains at home while Lucie navigates her first year away.
Key Takeaways
- Lucie Geist is thriving in her freshman year, according to her father
- Willie and Christina Geist say anticipation was harder than the actual separation
- The family is adjusting to life as a trio while Lucie explores college life
- Both parents describe feeling peace rather than pure sadness after the drop-off
