{"id":262613,"date":"2026-05-07T22:10:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/262613\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:10:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:10:24","slug":"dream-becomes-real-famu-business-school-gets-300k-for-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/262613\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Dream becomes real\u2019: FAMU business school gets $300K for scholarships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida A&M University\u2019s<\/a>spring commencement\u00a0speakers<\/a>\u00a0did\u00a0more than address this semester\u2019s\u00a0graduating class<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 they also\u00a0pledged six-figure donations\u00a0to one of the university’s flagship schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

FAMU\u00a0alumnus\u00a0Omar Goff \u2013 end-to-end\u00a0commercial\u00a0leader for\u00a0the shampoo brand\u00a0Head & Shoulders<\/a>, North America \u2013\u00a0led the charge by\u00a0announcing\u00a0a $100,000\u00a0gift\u00a0of his personal money\u00a0to\u00a0FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI)\u00a0during the university\u2019s May 2 graduation ceremony in the Lawson Center on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The gift will earn him a plaque on the SBI Big Board, which was created by\u00a0SBI\u2019s late founding dean\u00a0Sybil Collins Mobley<\/a>. Each plaque\u00a0on 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\u00a0who endowed\u00a0at least $100,000\u00a0for student scholarships.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, I dreamed of seeing my name on the SBI Big Board,\u201d Goff, who is also the former president of the textured haircare brand\u00a0Mielle<\/a>, said during his keynote speech May 2.\u00a0\u201cAnd today \u2026 that dream becomes real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related news: FSU, FAMU graduation: See the joy of the Class of 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Goff’s $100,000\u00a0gift will fund an SBI endowment he created,\u00a0called Possibility in Action.\u00a0\u201cPossibility without action is just a dream, and action without excellence is just effort,\u201d he said.\u00a0The FAMU business school\u2019s graduating class was among the group of students\u00a0he addressed during the spring commencement ceremony.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But\u00a0Goff\u2019s\u00a0announcement\u00a0did not end there.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0also shared that the co-founders of Mielle\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Monique\u00a0Rodriguez and her husband Melvin Rodriguez\u00a0\u2013 are matching his commitment with their own\u00a0$100,000\u00a0personal entrepreneurship endowment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s special edition digital cover.<\/p>\n

In addition,\u00a0Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America<\/a>\u00a0(TIAA)\u00a0President and CEO\u00a0Thasunda\u00a0Brown Duckett\u00a0is matching Goff\u2019s gift amount as well, bringing the total up to $300,000 from the three contributions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Teachers<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Duckett, who\u00a0was FAMU\u2019s commencement speaker during the university\u2019s May 1 ceremony, leads TIAA as it serves as a leading provider of secure retirements and investment solutions, managing\u00a0$1.5 trillion\u00a0in assets.\u00a0She\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0mention her donation during her keynote address.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“This is an example of how excellence delivers generation after generation,\u201d FAMU President Marva Johnson<\/a> said at the May 2 ceremony after Goff\u2019s speech. \u201cThank you so much for coming home and bringing gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida A&M University President Marva Johnson congratulates graduates during a spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n

All SBI donors have the\u00a0option\u00a0of opting to not have a plaque on the school\u2019s Big Board, according to a FAMU spokesperson. While Goff will have a plaque\u00a0displayed in his honor\u00a0\u2013 which will be added alongside over 100 others on the board \u2013\u00a0it is unclear if Duckett or the Rodriguezes will\u00a0choose to have them as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe show up and we show out better than anyone with our school pride,\u201d Goff said. \u201cWe get on everybody\u2019s nerves with how loud we are for FAMU and how hard we go for FAMU. But when it comes to giving,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got some serious work to do, because institutions like this\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0just sustain themselves \u2013 they\u00a0require\u00a0us.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving back is not optional,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is our responsibility.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network \u2013 Florida. She can be reached at\u00a0tjean@tallahassee.com<\/a>. Follow her on X:\u00a0@tarahjean_<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU School of Business and Industry gets $300K in personal endowments<\/a><\/p>\n