{"id":266276,"date":"2026-05-11T05:29:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T05:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/266276\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T05:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T05:29:20","slug":"omar-goffs-100k-gift-and-charge-to-make-it-count-define-famu-commencement-texas-metro-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/266276\/","title":{"rendered":"Omar Goff\u2019s $100K Gift and Charge to \u2018Make It Count\u2019 Define FAMU Commencement \u2013 Texas Metro News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.\u00a0\u2014 By the time the last graduate crossed the stage Saturday, May 2, inside the Alfred Lawson Multipurpose Center, the energy felt familiar in a way only an HBCU like Florida A&M University can deliver. It was equal parts celebration, reflection and an understanding that something bigger than a ceremony had took place.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just about degrees. It was about who the graduates would become.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis commencement, FAMU celebrates 1,271 graduates from all 14 of our colleges and schools. Today, this class joins more than 80,000 Rattlers in every state, on every continent, in every industry that matters,\u201d said\u00a0President Marva B. Johnson.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

Earlier that morning, the University celebrated the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, College of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities [Military Commissioning], and School of Architecture and Engineering Technology<\/p>\n

During the afternoon ceremony University leadership sent off the College of Law, College of Science and Technology, School of Business and Industry, School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, School of Nursing, and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, which included their largest graduating class in recent years, with 56 students.<\/p>\n

\"Graduates<\/p>\n

President Johnson\u2019s message was clear to all of them, while FAMU had been their home, it was no longer just the place they went to college.<\/p>\n

\u201cFAMU is who you are. From 19 to 63 [years of age], you prove this house is built for every chapter of life,\u201d she said. \u201cYou graduate from a research enterprise that secured one hundred and twelve million dollars this year. That credential carries that weight everywhere it goes. Thank you for choosing FAMU. Congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n

Welcome home Omar Goff<\/p>\n

That sense of identity and preparation carried into the keynote,\u00a0Omar Goff, whose message was about reflection and real-world application through his lens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cStanding before you today is more than an honor. It is truly a full-circle moment,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I am you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Omar<\/p>\n

But when he spoke, it didn\u2019t feel like an address. It felt more like a conversation with people who already knew the story because he too, lived and loved FAMU.<\/p>\n

Before he was the end-to-end commercial leader for Head & Shoulders, North America, Goff served as president of Mielle, where he led one of the fastest-growing textured haircare brands into its next era under Procter & Gamble.<\/p>\n

Yet Saturday, he was a Spring 2004 summa cum laude graduate who came home for a visit and was having a chat with his FAMUly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of y\u2019all are still a little uncertain right now. Like, \u2018I have to pay my own cell-phone bill now. When do these student loans kick in again?\u2019\u201d he joked, letting the laughter settle in for a minute.<\/p>\n

But his humor never distracted from the message. It connected, even when he shared that he had the same birthday as Louis Vuitton and stayed \u201cLouie down to the socks,\u201d another moment that drew chuckles from the crowd.<\/p>\n

And in between the wit, Goff told his story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the son of two immigrants from Belize\u2026 high school educated\u2026 who came to this country with no resources, but a whole lot of resolve,\u201d he said. \u201cI am the first on both sides of my family to earn a Master\u2019s degree, but I didn\u2019t stop there. I like to be first; not for glory, but to open doors for others.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then gave an example, referring to when he signed Angel Reese to a major brand partnership before she joined the WNBA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile working with the WNBA, I created the first hair care brand partnership designed for Black women, who make up 80% of the league and deserve to be celebrated,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

And Goff didn\u2019t talk at the graduates. He talked to them. He saw who they could be beyond the Highest of Seven Hills.<\/p>\n

\"Omar<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when I look out at all of you, I don\u2019t just see graduates. I see future firsts,\u201d he said. \u201cDoctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, executives, entrepreneurs, creators; leaders ready to break ceilings and build legacies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he said something that seemed every Rattler, young or seasoned, understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know something about FAMU; nothing is out of our reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

A moment that became a movement<\/p>\n

From there, the speech shifted from inspiration to action because Goff showed what it meant to invest in the future and move FAMU forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, I dreamed of seeing my name on the SBI Big Board,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd today\u2026 that dream becomes real.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then announced a $100,000 of his \u201cpersonal\u201d money for a \u201cPossibility in Action\u201d endowment for the School of Business and Industry (SBI).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

And just when everyone thought that was it, he had more.<\/p>\n

Goff shared that the founders of Mielle, his friends,\u00a0Melvin and Monique Rodriguez\u00a0have been surrounded and inspired by FAMU Excellence for years throughout their journey, and are matching his commitment with their own personal entrepreneurship endowment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich will provide students, who like them, would not have the opportunity to demonstrate excellence and in doing so uplift communities as they have,\u201d he said, acknowledging the power of relationships, describing it as not only access but impact and legacy.<\/p>\n

And just when everyone thought that was it, there was still more.<\/p>\n

Goff revealed that after a conversation with\u00a0Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of TIAA, who served as Friday\u2019s commencement speaker, she was also matching his contribution.<\/p>\n

Just like that, three relationships\u2014three connections\u2014came together and changed the lives of future generations they may never meet.<\/p>\n

\"Aeriel<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re in the room, make it count<\/p>\n

Goff then laid out five principles he encouraged the graduates to take with them long after the celebratory parties were over.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake excellence your brand,\u201d he said. \u201cExcellence is not something you turn on when it\u2019s convenient. It is how you operate every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

He urged them to live authentically and without fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not shrink. Do not adjust yourself to fit others. Because when you move away from who you are, you move away from your power,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Third, he told the graduates to dream big, but execute bigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cDreams are common. Execution is rare. Be disciplined. Be consistent. Finish what you start,\u201d he challenged.<\/p>\n

Goff pressed them to \u201cmake it count\u201d once they receive a chance to make things happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you earn your way into rooms of influence: Speak. Challenge. Contribute. Lead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Graduate<\/p>\n

His fifth jewel was that relationships are currency, something he displayed when announcing the three monetary donations earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the people I call classmates are leaders across several industries. Kamau Murray coached [tennis] great Sloane Stephens to a Grand Slam title. [He] is expanding access to the sport through his very own academy in Chicago, XS Tennis,\u201d Goff said.<\/p>\n

Calling all leaders to the stage<\/p>\n

While Saturday\u2019s ceremonies were full of surprises like generous endowments, it also marked the exit of some of the university\u2019s most visible student leaders.<\/p>\n

Oluwamodupe \u201cDupe\u201d Oloyede, FAMU\u2019s first head female drum major, accepted her degree to a round of ear-shattering screams and shouts. Goff also highlighted Oloyede in his remarks, announcing her brand deal with Head & Shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

King and Queen of Orange and Green\u00a0Gucciany Prince Toussaint\u00a0and\u00a0Tamia Adriana Williams\u00a0crossed the stage to similar applause, and\u00a0Zayla Bryant, who served as Student Government Association president, received her degree in business administration to the same enthusiastic response.<\/p>\n

\"Outgoing<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the moment, she kept it real.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just so happy to be here and make it to this moment. I really don\u2019t know how to feel,\u201d said Bryant, who also served on the University\u2019s Board of Trustees. \u201cI\u2019m just glad it\u2019s over and what\u2019s next is me attending Colombia University getting my master\u2019s in negotiation and conflict resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then, the sendoff<\/p>\n

Before stepping away from the podium, Goff had to make the call every Rattler knows and appears to never grow tired of hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations, Class of 2026. And as always, strike, strike and strike again.\u201d<\/p>\n

And just like that, they didn\u2019t just leave as graduates; they walked out carrying FAMU on their backs.<\/p>\n

\"Bedazzled<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TALLAHASSEE, Fla.\u00a0\u2014 By the time the last graduate crossed the stage Saturday, May 2, inside the Alfred Lawson…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":266277,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-266276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266276\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}