After over a decade on Today, a longtime contributor is saying goodbye to the NBC TV mainstay.
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Donna Farizan announced on Monday during Jenna & Friends that she is leaving to pursue a new professional chapter.
“A year ago, I launched a series called ‘Own Your Power’ where I challenged myself to speak my truth,” the 34-year-old said alongside Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie. “And now, after 12 years with TODAY, I’m challenging myself to spread my wings. To see what new and exciting opportunities await me professionally.”
Farizan also read a letter she had written to herself, reflecting on over a decade at Today.
“Dear Donna, the time has come to start my next chapter. The unknown can be scary, but it’s also exhilarating, so let’s embrace it,” the TV personality began. “Since I started college and had my heart set on television, I didn’t know where the road would lead, but I knew to follow my curiosity and spark.”
“I created a path that taught me lessons, lessons that expanded my growth as a human being. I paved the way for the show to try new mediums, learn to tell stories in my own style, and made new friends along the way. Discomfort is usually a catalyst for growth,” Farizan continued. “So I shouldn’t be afraid to jump because it’s only the part before I take the jump that I fear. But the bigger the leap, the bigger the shift in perspective and the more resilient I become. Today, we’re fearless.”
“Everywhere I turn, surrounding the perimeter of 30 Rock, I’m reminded of ways in which I’ve pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. Now it’s time to do that again. Because that’s how you grow — and I yearn to grow,” she added.
Donna Farizan Thanks Her NBC TV Family During Her Heartfelt Send Off
She also thanked her former NBC TV colleagues as she started a new chapter in her career. “The world of TV and content can sometimes feel overwhelming because there is no roadmap,” Farizan read. “But I am so grateful to have gone to the School of Kathie Lee Gifford, the School of Hoda Kotb, and the School of Jenna Bush Hager, because now it’s time for me, Donna Farizan, to create my own map.”
While Today has been like a second home for her, Farizan said she plans to take the lessons she’s learned, “spread my wings, and remind myself that I can always fly back to say hi.”