Florida A&M University’sspring commencement speakers did more than address this semester’s graduating class – they also pledged six-figure donations to one of the university’s flagship schools.
FAMU alumnus Omar Goff – end-to-end commercial leader for the shampoo brand Head & Shoulders, North America – led the charge by announcing a $100,000 gift of his personal money to FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) during the university’s May 2 graduation ceremony in the Lawson Center on campus.
The gift will earn him a plaque on the SBI Big Board, which was created by SBI’s late founding dean Sybil Collins Mobley. Each plaque on the board, which is located on a wall of the school’s complex on Robert and Trudie Perkins Way, displays the logo or name of major contributors who endowed at least $100,000 for student scholarships.
“For years, I dreamed of seeing my name on the SBI Big Board,” Goff, who is also the former president of the textured haircare brand Mielle, said during his keynote speech May 2. “And today … that dream becomes real.”
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Goff’s $100,000 gift will fund an SBI endowment he created, called Possibility in Action. “Possibility without action is just a dream, and action without excellence is just effort,” he said. The FAMU business school’s graduating class was among the group of students he addressed during the spring commencement ceremony.
But Goff’s announcement did not end there.
He also shared that the co-founders of Mielle – Monique Rodriguez and her husband Melvin Rodriguez – are matching his commitment with their own $100,000 personal entrepreneurship endowment.
While neither of them are FAMU alumni, Mielle usually sponsors the university’s events, such as a “Beyond Black Beauty” exhibit that was held on campus last year. The company also partnered with two FAMU students in October as part of an HBCU feature on EBONY Magazine’s special edition digital cover.
In addition, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett is matching Goff’s gift amount as well, bringing the total up to $300,000 from the three contributions.
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett speaks at FAMU’s spring commencement ceremony on May 1, 2026.
Duckett, who was FAMU’s commencement speaker during the university’s May 1 ceremony, leads TIAA as it serves as a leading provider of secure retirements and investment solutions, managing $1.5 trillion in assets. She didn’t mention her donation during her keynote address.
“This is an example of how excellence delivers generation after generation,” FAMU President Marva Johnson said at the May 2 ceremony after Goff’s speech. “Thank you so much for coming home and bringing gifts.”
Florida A&M University President Marva Johnson congratulates graduates during a spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 1, 2026.
All SBI donors have the option of opting to not have a plaque on the school’s Big Board, according to a FAMU spokesperson. While Goff will have a plaque displayed in his honor – which will be added alongside over 100 others on the board – it is unclear if Duckett or the Rodriguezes will choose to have them as well.
“We show up and we show out better than anyone with our school pride,” Goff said. “We get on everybody’s nerves with how loud we are for FAMU and how hard we go for FAMU. But when it comes to giving, we’ve got some serious work to do, because institutions like this don’t just sustain themselves – they require us.
“Giving back is not optional,” he added. “It is our responsibility.”
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU School of Business and Industry gets $300K in personal endowments